When I left Connecticut for this road trip, I thought it would just be a fun vacation with my dad. What I didn’t expect was how much I needed it. I decided to stay off social media during the trip. At first it was weird. I kept wanting to check Messenger, Facebook, and everything else. But after a few days, something changed. My hobbies started feeling good again. I picked up my guitar more. I started journaling every night. My mind felt brighter. I wasn’t constantly wondering what everyone else was doing.
I was just living.
The trip started in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. The first major lesson came when I thought I lost my wallet. My stomach dropped. I was convinced it was gone. After retracing my steps and searching everywhere, we found it in the hotel room.
Lesson number one: don’t put your wallet in your back pocket.
The next stop was Canton, Ohio and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a musician, I figured the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame would be my favorite stop. I was wrong. The Football Hall of Fame absolutely blew me away. The Joe Namath hologram was incredible. Seeing the history of the NFL all in one place was amazing. I left there thinking, “That might have been my favorite museum I’ve ever visited.” I expected a cool museum. What I got was a reminder of what greatness looks like. Not just talent, but dedication, sacrifice, and years of hard work. As someone trying to build a career in music, that stuck with me. What else stuck with me was meeting a man who worked with the Jets and the Browns!!
Then came the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Seeing handwritten lyrics from Matthew Sweet was incredible. The Wings exhibit was one of my favorite parts.
I also loved seeing Pink Floyd’s actual wall from The Wall tour. Standing in front of something so iconic felt surreal. Seeing John Lee Hooker’s guitar up close was another highlight. As a guitarist, moments like that make music history feel real. The SNL 50 celebration exhibit was also a lot of fun and reminded me just how connected music and culture really are. But honestly, my favorite moment wasn’t looking at a display.
It was playing guitar with my friend Owen Radford (hi to his wife and soon-to-be daughter who also joined). Think about that for a second. I traveled hundreds of miles, walked into one of the most famous music museums in the world, and ended up playing guitar with one of my longtime friends and co-writers.
That’s something I’ll remember forever.
Not every moment on the trip was perfect.
There was a day in Cleveland where my dad and I got into an argument. We were both frustrated. I ended up sitting by Lake Erie upset and wondering why things had gone sideways. Looking back now, I’m actually glad it happened. We talked it out and moved on. Sometimes the conversations after an argument matter more than the argument itself. That afternoon sitting by Lake Erie ended up becoming one of the most memorable moments of the trip—not because it was fun, but because it reminded me that even difficult moments become part of the story.
One of the biggest surprises of the trip was realizing people are kinder than I usually give them credit for. My hotel concierge looked up my music. Kyle (Unlikely Places PA) agreed to help with my website. Friends checked in. People were supportive. For a long time, I’ve expected the worst from people more often than I should.
This trip challenged that.
People aren’t perfect. Neither am I. But most people are trying their best, and many are a lot kinder than we give them credit for. Another thing I realized is that I can actually do this life. I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. This trip forced me to be present. I handled “losing my wallet”. I handled travel stress. I handled heartburn at one in the morning after eating a spicy chicken sandwich and way too many Sour Patch Kids. I handled the ups and downs and I had fun doing it.
Gettysburg was another highlight.
Standing where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address and Round Top was surreal. Walking the battlefield reminded me how small my own problems can be compared to the events that shaped history. The Civil War tour was excellent and ended up being one of the best experiences of the trip. One of my favorite Gettysburg moments happened after all the history.
I discovered that a building connected to Lincoln’s visit to Gettysburg is now home to Fourcorners Comics & Games. As a Magic: The Gathering player, there was something funny and strangely perfect about buying a Magic card in a place connected to one of the most important moments in American history. Special thanks to Aubrey at Fourcorners Comics & Games for helping make that stop memorable with my purchase of a Watery Grave card for my Eddie deck (yes, I have an Iron Maiden–themed Commander deck!).
Only on one of my road trips could football, rock ‘n’ roll, the Civil War, and Magic: The Gathering all end up in the same story. I also stopped at Sweet Repeat Records and found a Jellyfish CD. My dad and I were already buying a few CDs and a Kayak vinyl (I’m on the same label as them—OOB!) when my dad noticed the Jellyfish disc had some scratches on it. The owner took a look and, instead of putting it back on the shelf, told us to just take it.
It wasn’t a huge gesture, but it stuck with me. The entire trip seemed to be filled with little reminders that people are often kinder than I expect them to be. That free Jellyfish CD will probably always remind me of Gettysburg—not because of what it cost, but because of the person who handed it to me.
Standing in Gettysburg after spending the week thinking about music, football, social media, and life was a strange feeling. History has a way of putting things into perspective.
As the trip came to an end in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, I found myself feeling something I didn’t expect. I was sad it was ending. Not because I didn’t want to go home.
I do. I’m excited to get back to my own bed, my radio show, my music, and my projects. But this trip reminded me of who I am when I get away from the noise.
I love music.
I love history.
I love football more than I realized.
I love writing.
I love creating things.
Most of all, I learned that life is a lot bigger than a screen. One of the quieter moments that stuck with me happened at the Aurora Inn.
I took my acoustic guitar out to the fireplace area in the back and just played. No pressure, no audience, no goal—just music in its simplest form. The fire pit, the guitar, and a rare kind of stillness. It reminded me why I started playing in the first place.
Later that night, my dad and I recorded something that felt more like a long conversation than anything else. It was part voice memo, part reflection on the entire trip up to that point before Gettysburg, and part just two people trying to process everything we had seen and felt along the way.
I’ll be sharing that recording exclusively with my mailing list. If you want to hear it, I’ll be sending it out there soon—so follow along here
And after everything, I can’t wait to get back home and back into the things that ground me.
Back to writing.
Back to playing guitar.
And back to playing League at my LGS, Imperial Gaming.
By the time I got home, I didn’t feel like I was escaping anything anymore. I felt like I was returning to it—with a clearer head. Tomorrow I’ll probably reinstall Messenger,Facebook and Instagram.
But I’m going back differently than when I left.
Less scrolling. More creating.
Less worrying. More living.
This trip gave me football, rock ‘n’ roll, Gettysburg, Magic cards, a free Jellyfish CD, Lake Erie, guitar jams, a lost wallet, too much heartburn, great conversations, and a notebook full of memories.
Most importantly, it gave me perspective. Somewhere between football, rock ‘n’ roll, and the Civil War, I found a little bit of myself again.
And honestly, that’s exactly what I needed.
Thanks Dad!
Love,
J