Justyn Other Adventure

If I could sum up the last couple days in one word, it would have to be... Exhausting. But it was good kind of exhausting, a great kind actually. My voice is tired, my muscles fatigued, my feet hurt, but I would do this gig again in a heartbeat. I've been to a lot of different places, and I've got to say that  New York is one of my favorite places to be. It's so different from California. The scenes are different, the smells are different, it has a completely different vibe, and in the words of one of my favorite people, it has a different kind of intensity. (Thanks BFD!) That's probably why I'm tired. I'm totally not used to it. I love California, don't get me wrong, my personality definitely reflects the lax persona of Cali, but there's something enticing about that East Coast intensity that I want to hold on to. This past weekend I had the opportunity to perform with my vocal jazz group Singcopation at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem NY. We w...

Alright, Here we go! (I'm going to recap everything in this one blog post! I missed a lot of days waiting for wifi in Europe, so I'm not going to wait now. More pictures to come!) It's been an insanely exhausting, stress-filled, draining, exciting, amazingly sweet and impactful, two weeks in Europe. There are so many words that come to mind when I think of what I expereinced over there that I'm finding it hard to pick just one perfect word. I don't think there is one. So much has happened in such a short amount of time that it's left me mentally and emotionally overwhelmed. I loved every minute of this journey and it's kind of frustrating right now because I'm going to try my best to share it with you all, but I know my words won't do it justice. It's a "You had to be there" kind of thing, but I'll try my best.  We visited the two beautiful countries of Poland and Germany. We started in Warsaw where we connected with the music ...

Yesterday, we arrived in Poiniatowa. We rode our bus through the countryside passing quaint little farm houses and so much green! It's beautiful out here. There are so many trees and fields of freshly planted wheat and the air is so clean.  It had taken us over 2 hours to get to Poiniatowa, and when we did, we were all assigned to different families and they took us into their homes and fed us. They were members of the community choir, and since we will be performing with them in a giant concert they were happy to take us in.  Me and my friend Molly were assigned to Joanna Walencik, who is a member of the choir and her 18-year old daughter Wicktoria. (Who btw, is beautiful and creates beautiful art. She did her own henna and hand-painted a tote bag for me and Molly. She's cool.) Joanna speaks mostly in Polish but can understand English for the most part. Wicktoria on the other hand speaks English very well. They took us into their home and Joanna prepared a delicious meal for ...

There's so much to see in Poland. We've only visited two cities, but everything about Warsaw and Poiniatowa is so charming and inviting; the food, the architecture, the people, you name it. I never thought I could fall so much in love with a country, and it's people, but I did.  We stayed in Warsaw for the first couple days of our tour, and now we're in Poiniatowa for the next two days. Warsaw is a very lively city. There's so many things to see and do, and everything is walking distance. From our hotel we could visit "Old Town" where there's a giant square that bustles tourists and natives alike. You can visit the river and walk along the bank. You can see where Chopin studied piano. You can shop for souvenirs or have a drink with friends at a cozy outdoor restaurant. You can eat the best ice cream that's taller than your face, and you can especially enjoy the scenery.  We met so many different people in Warsaw, amazing people at that. They are a ...

In less than 12 hrs, I'll be leaving on a plane to Europe! =D I'm beyond excited. I love traveling. I love experiencing different cultures and trying the exotic foods, (honestly... I cannot wait for the food!) and the best part, the cherry on top is that I get to travel because of music. I'll be journeying for two weeks across the pond with Mt. Sac Chamber Singers and Singcopation. Our mission: Compete at the 2nd European choir games in Magdeburg, Germany... and kick butt! We're going to be doing a lot on this tour. Before we reach the actual competition, we'll be detouring to Poland for most of the two weeks. While there, we'll perform at a local jazz club, we'll meet up with Riverside Community College Chamber Singers and perform with them, and we'll see the sights of Krawkow, Poinitowa and Warsaw. It's going to be a tour packed with so many amazing things and I thank God for giving me an opportunity like this to see His world and His creatio...

I love the beach. I love the smell of the ocean, the coolness of the water, and hearing the waves crash on the shore. I even love the sand, even though it gets everywhere. I've always loved going to the beach and being by the water, but what always draws me in and keeps me coming back is being able to share it with people I love. In my experience, the beach has always been a place where bonding is inevitable. No matter who you go with, your relationship with that person just grows stronger. Chalk it up to the atmosphere and being surrounded by nature, or maybe it's because you're not glued to your techie device. Whatever it is, God has used this setting in my life to appreciate him more and help make me love Him and his creation more.  I had the privilege of driving out to Seal Beach last weekend to spend the day with my cousins on my Dad's side of the family. I'm the second oldest of the grandchildren, my sister being the first. I've grown up with these...