The town of Valensole is home to the most beautiful lavender fields throughout Provence. Waking up early to watch the sunrise as well as coming out for a picnic on the fields for dinner until sunset is the most magical experience that needs to be on your bucket list!

What a dream it was getting to follow the butterfly migration down south to Michoacán. It felt like a fairy forest! It was quiet and serene once we got to the top. The sounds of wings fluttering and birds chirping were unlike any other feeling of stillness.

That’s when I had an epiphany. What I was doing before, with my job, I wasn’t happy with. It was not something I truly wanted to do or something that truly brought joy. It felt like I was just letting my life go by, like so many of us do. So I decided to do something that scared me. I’m going to start my business. It’s risky because it’s new, it’s different, and I knew I wouldn’t be earning money for quite some time. I thought the best thing I could do was just jump in and dive in right away. That’s the day I decided that I was going to start telling my story…

Sometimes it’s really easy to feel like being a musician is a selfish thing, because you have to constantly promote yourself. It’s easy to forget that the reason we do it is not just so that we can make a living, but so that we can share the beauty of what we do, as string players, with others. It’s a universal language. Everybody has a story. Everyone goes through things, and when people do things that can help you move through those phases and encounters in life, it’s a very powerful thing. Reminding myself that is important because it’s not purely a selfish endeavor, it is for trying to help the good of humanity.