It was Tuesday, Oct 23, 2018. I was mid-honeymoon currently in Perugia, Italy, at a private villa overlooking miles of unobstructed countryside.

Aside from having a Tumblr account, I’ve never been diagnosed with any sort of anxiety disorder. But I do work for myself, by myself, email for hours on end, hunched over my laptop and part of a community of people I likely couldn’t pick out of a crowd.

I’m a half-full kind of guy albeit a textbook introvert guilty for scaring easily, having a colorful imagination, letting hours waste away between walls that keep caving in that amplify my thoughts. Even though I’ve chosen to put myself there, we all have our vulnerable moments.

I was lucky to get an early copy of Gabrielle Aplin’s latest single, “My Mistake,” which I knew was going to be great, so I brought this listening party (me and my now husband!) outside, parked two chairs on the edge of our view, and connected a small, yet mighty, portable bluetooth Anker speaker to my phone.

“Ready?” I asked Tyler.
“Yes.”

In Gabrielle’s own words, the song is “about finding a strange sense of comfort in admitting to yourself that you’re not feeling 100% and completely owning it.” I’m a strong believer in brutal honestly. And the title…*grabs popcorn*

Maybe it’s the publicist in me, or maybe it’s a series of life events that have left me jaded, but at this moment with Gabrielle’s voice spilling over the lush landscape in vibrant color something unlocked.

Have you ever been told by someone, “you have the power to make yourself happy”? I fucking hate those people. Ever wonder why some people manage to smile even when it's raining on their proverbial parade? Good for them! Ever stop yourself in own own tracks and plead with whatever higher power you believe in to give you a “you’re OK” sign? I think this was mine. It was like the good, bad, ugly, beautiful, everything was put into perspective.

Magic is this misery and I don’t plan on changing.

Also, Gabrielle’s voice gives the sun a run for its warmth, I mean, dang.