I have been California Dreamin’ all rainy week long here in Orlando, FL the “City Beautiful”. Or the City-I-should-have-purchased-those-gorgeous-Hunter-wellies-when-they-were-on-sale-Beautiful. You may not know it, but here in the Sunshine State hurricane season starts June 1 and that is when our daily afternoon thunderstorms begin. My office building has a tin roof and when it rains, even though I have a ceiling, it sounds like nails failing from the sky. I definitely need to turn up the music in my office just to make it through a round of emails.

So with a vacation to California a mere few days away, I have ignored the weather outside and been jamming out to some favorite tunes to get me in the PST mindset. As you know, my last vacation was canceled and therefore I’m asking you, your mother, your priest and basically everyone you know to help put out some good juju into the universe to ensure that my trip to LA happens!

I’m super excited as this is my 7th visit to LaLa Land and my 5th Mumford and Sons concert! When my sangria loving bestie, Ashleigh, moved to LA five years ago for work I vowed I would visit her with in the first year once things were settled and she had acclimated to West Coast life. However, when we found out that Mumford & Sons would be doing a one-night only show at The Hollywood Bowl within a few shorts months of her moving, I bought my very first flight out west and she bought couch so I could have a place to rest my head at night.

That visit was full of firsts: my first time to California, my first trip to Disneyland and my first time watching Arrested Development. Since Umami Burger decided to take me down within the first eight hours of my visit by gifting me food poisoning I spent my first day in LA on Ashleigh’s couch with dry toast, sparkling water and seasons 1 and 2 of Arrested development. So yeah, lots of memorable firsts.

Since that trip, every other visit has been more fun than the last and on my first night of arrival I always try to stick to soup to limit any food poisoning issues that could be had. FYI: If you’re ever in Studio City there is the greatest ramen joint right off Ventura, yum!

Every time I head out to visit Ashleigh I find myself falling in love with California just a little bit more and coming home with more stories than I can count. My uber driver who chugged out of his vodka bottle on the 405? Hilarious. No just kidding…terrifying. Doing a ‘Where the Stars Live tour’? Fun and really invasive…sorry Justin Timberlake! And more morning-after brunches with the girls laughing at the night before’s adventures than I can remember. I may have been born in New York but I may have a bit of California in my heart.

So, you can imagine how excited I am for this next trip and the two-day festival we’ll be attending, Arroyo Seco Weekend in Pasadena, featuring some my favorite things: pop-up libraries, jazz bands and oh yah, Mumford & Sons. Coachella for millennials who don’t want to be called millennials! I mean even Jeff Goldblum has a jazz band? I can’t handle my excitement of drinking a California Cabernet and taking it all on.

Join me won’t you? Hit play on the latest My Revamped Playlist, close your eyes and just feel that California breeze take you away and let me know if you love any city as much as I love LA!

My Revamped Playlist: June 16, 2017

“Short Dressed Gal” by Preservation Hall Jazz Band

“Sound & Color” by Alabama Shakes

“Hold on” by Alabama Shakes

“Simple Song” by The Shins

“HandClap” by Fitz and the Tantrum

“I Love The USA” by Weezer

“Buddy Holly” by Weezer

“Undone – The Sweater Song” by Weezer

“Last Love Song” by ZZ Ward

“All Over You – Live” by Live

“Free Fallin'” by Tom Petty

“Don’t Do Me Like That” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

“The Wolf” by Mumford & Sons

“There Will Be Time” by Mumford & Sons

“Lover of the Light-Live” by Mumford & Sons

“Born Free’ky” by Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra

“Dustbowl Dance-Live” by Mumford & Sons

“Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

“The Waiting” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers