some of the best moments of my life

in no particular order

1. a standing ovation from the packed Palais theatre after the world premiere of Shortbus at the Cannes Film Festival in France. the audience clapping in rhythm for what was probably about 5 minutes, and felt like 20. the cast members, crew, and filmmakers all in tears at such a climactic moment of years of hard work & vulnerability. being told by the director of the festival that that night was the first time in the history of Cannes that the audience continued applauding and didn't leave the theatre until after the cast & crew. my first time in Europe.

2. standing at the top of the hill overlooking Athens, Greece with my friend Loukas. my first time on an international trip without travel companions. one of the most beautiful city views i have ever experienced.

3. walking onstage my first time at the Highline Ballroom in NYC. my first time headlining my own show in a "ballroom"-sized venue.

4. believing in magic again for the first time in maybe 3 years. in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

5. riding through the streets of Rome at night behind my friend Pino on his moped, circling past the brightly lit Colosseum and flying through ancient archways.

6. wandering the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland - one of the most beautiful places i've been - on a headline tour of the UK. feeling adventurous & alive in a way i don't feel very often.

7. Madrid, Prague, & Budapest - Spring 2010

8. going to the The Cranberries concert, 15 years after i wanted to. handing Dolores O'Riordan an inscribed copy of my covers album with "Zombie" on it, and watching her wave it around in the air (having no idea what it was haha), while singing "Ode To My Family"

9. Lisa Loeb concert with Amy Caudill at Largo in Hollywood, circa 2000. sitting on the floor at Lisa's feet, and her talking to us during the show, calling us "cute", me calling her "my hero" & her responding "that's nice" and then feeling bad that it came out sarcastic rather than sincere...so she asked what song i wanted her to play...and then she said no, she didn't want to play that one haha

10. getting a personal email from the one and only Ani DiFranco

11. the first time i came to NYC, felt its magic, and knew it was where i belonged. NYC called to me from the moment i arrived. perhaps even before.

12. breaking up with my first boyfriend at the Jewel concert at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston, Texas when i was 16. finding support in total strangers who i still believe to be angels, and dancing with them in the rain.

13. seeing a music video for a song that i wrote and sang...being broadcast on network television.

14. the first time i achieved an entire year of sobriety, four days before my 21st birthday.

15. renting a car & driving by myself to the Dead Sea in Israel. getting lost. being terrified. finally getting there and soaking in (literally) another of the world's most stunning landscapes.

17. graduating from high school 1 year early - and getting the fuck out of there

18. wandering the streets of beautiful, charming Lisbon. forcing myself (after many attempts) to climb all the way to the top of the Torre de Belém, in spite of my fear of heights.

19. making it all the way to the top outside ring of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, only finding the courage to ascend the cupola when a kind group of American college student tourists said they would help, and talked to me the whole way up to keep me distracted. then going to the top of the Gianicolo with my friend Marco to watch the fiery sunset over Rome.

20. being flown to LA to screen test with Lindsay Lohan & Lizzie Kaplan for the producers & director of Mean Girls

21. watching my first album (hardly believing one existed) climb to the No. 25 spot on the overall iTunes album charts.

22. watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer followed by Xena on the couch every Thursday night in high school in the dark, eating bowls of three-cheese tortellini in tomato sauce.

23. getting kicked out of college, packing everything i owned into my little Nissan Sentra, and driving 20 hours non-stop from Cincinnati to Houston, having an 18th birthday, then continuing 24 hours non-stop from Houston to Palm Springs.

24. this isnt really one specific moment, but...showing up in cities ive never been to in rooms packed full of people singing my songs & requesting them by name. THAT is a crazy feeling i never thought i'd have.

25. hmmm im pushing for one more memory before i go to bed, just to have a round 25...... ok! being on the cover of Rolling Stone maga....oh wait. that hasn't happened yet. ok i guess i should call it a night, i'm hallucinating.