A Full Table

My last post went up about a month ago, a testament to how quickly time is passing over here and how busy life seems to get. In it I wrote about my experiences traveling solo, from dining alone at restaurants to seeing different cities sans travel partners and friends.

Tonight I write from a different place. I arrived back in London last Tuesday after a trip to Ireland, and just a week later I found myself sitting at table brimming with new faces. To my right sat my new business partner, Stephanie, who I met just a week prior through another random encounter with a lovely couple at a dinner party. To my left sat Helen, a British friend who I met in New York City last summer and bonded with over an intense game of volleyball at a music fest a few days later. Across the table was Bruce, a friend of Stephanie’s and a man who was kind enough to open his home and industry advice as we brainstormed our new plan this weekend. Next to him sat Sophie, Anne and David, the family of friend and NYC singer-songwriter Will Knox who have generously taken me in for the duration of my UK/London tour.

On stage were three familiar faces… Caleb, Bess and Alex. I can tell you that as much as I love being over here, seeing Caleb walk through the door of a London Starbucks to come grab us before the gig was one of the highlights of my trip.

There are moments in life when you stop for a moment and think about where you are. Who you are with. What random acts and serendipitous events have brought you to that moment. I rarely dine alone anymore. I find myself excited each morning with what new things may come my way. I look forward to working because I’m working towards something now. I feel like the pieces of me that were scrambled all over New York City for the years after my dance studio closed are starting to reassemble and form “me” again. The “me” I remember. The “me” I want to be.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for that full table.