08/19/2026
DJing keeps bringing me to the best places, but the people are always the real gift. I got to provide the soundtrack for Ginger’s birthday in Lake Tahoe, and somewhere between that party and sailing with this new friend group, I fell completely in love with all of them.
The most beautiful, supportive humans who show up for each other so hard, and music is literally what brought them together in the first place. Being chosen as their DJ meant everything. I also got to have dinner with my aunt and uncle, who happened to be vacationing in Tahoe at the same time.
There was also a thrift store in town with a furry rug I had my eye on, but it was cash only and I was short, plus I had no idea how I’d get it home on a plane. Then I got to the venue and that exact rug was sitting on my DJ table. They’d bought it for me and said I had to take it home. 🤣
Then I headed to Reno to play a rooftop pre-party at Tahoe Aleworx before Goose, and when I first got up there and nobody had arrived yet, I looked out at the mountains and got teary eyed, like, even if not a single person shows up, the fact that music brought me to this rooftop is already so special.
And then people did show up, and I got to play my actual love language, funky tracks nobody’s heard blended into jam songs and rocknroll and that one song you completely forgot you used to lose it to. I think I’ve officially got my sound down now, and it is so much fun.
Also, a guy at the show looked at me and said “you look familiar.” Turns out we went to college together. I went on a date with him once. I showed up in pajamas because nobody told me it was a date, and he showed up dressed up and took me to a fancy restaurant. I also knew his now-wife Wendy back when she had a pretty terrible boyfriend, and I remember thinking she and Zach should just be together. They’ve been married ever since. Small world, big love.
Huge shoutout to my friend Big Al, who set up the Reno show, got me miracled into the Goose show, and got the sound handled for Tahoe too. You’re the actual best.
See you soon, Reno, I’ll be back through in a couple weeks on my way to Burning Man.
Love u CHEETATAH