Sophie (Chanko) Dare

Seven months down, only five more to go in 2020... as much as we probably want this insane year to be over, I'm enjoying the positives that have come my way so far, and embracing being along for the ride. Here's my highlights from this past month:

Wordless Wednesday: The Big Chop

First things first, I finally got to return to the salon and cut my hair off! I tried growing it out for a while, but I honestly don't feel like myself with all that hair. I felt like I was returning to my true self with short hair again, and I already can't wait to get it cut again (lol).

Long Distance Friendship

I got the chance to visit my friend who lives a couple hours away; we would have seen each other for a couple of concerts in March and April, but since everything got canceled, we hadn't seen each other since last fall. We did the few things you could do during a quarantine: hiked some trails at a state park, got takeout vegan food, and wandered IKEA with masks on. I wrote about some of my thoughts and experience being friends with someone from a different place and different walk of life, and it made me really happy to be able to see her again!

To All The Boys Movie Soundtrack

While at my friend's place, we watched this movie, and I was greatly impressed by the eclectic soundtrack – I found playlists of the songs from the movie, and I've been playing them non-stop ever since!

Getting Clear On Your Audience

I spent the vast majority of this month working on writing content for my remote internship for Keenya Kelly, an online branding consultant and business coach. This is one of my first published blogs on her site (the website is currently going through some issues and being reconstructed, but you can still read the text at the link in this post!).

Working Overtime

Between working my day job at my credit union, creating content for Coil, writing for my internship, and taking online college classes, I started to feel the burn of a heavy workload for the first time in a while. It's been tough to juggle everything, but I'm making it through just fine now, and I know everything I'm working on is benefiting me in the long run.

5 Things I Did To Get Into The Boost Program (I Think)

I laid out the main points that I held myself to while I was intentionally working on getting my blog up to par with being accepted to receive boosts. Most of it is just best practices to help make your content better and better, but I think this is what worked for me to push me to the top and qualify me to receive extra compensation (thanks, Coil :)

4 Goals I Want To Reach By 25

I feel like I finally know what I want to do with my life, at least a little bit. I wrote about the big things I want to accomplish while I'm still young, and it's exciting to think about all the life I have ahead of me instead of being stressed about it.

Taylor Swift, Yesterday And Today

With the surprise release of Taylor's dreamy new album, folklore, I reflected on how her music has been there throughout my entire life, how much of an impact she's had, and the magnitude of her musical & personal journey up to now.

Moving Out (by Billy Joel)

And finally...

As of last night, I officially don't live with my family anymore, and let me tell you, what a load off. My new room is coming together, I'm going to grocery shop for myself for the first time this weekend, and I get to feel like a true adult for the first time ever. I can't believe it's already happened, and it's crazy to think that when I leave work tonight, I'll be driving home to my own place.

I've been so blessed in so many ways to be able to provide for myself on my own at this point. I'm so thankful that everything has worked out and I've made it to my new city with no hiccups along the way. I'm sure there will be plenty of strange new feelings and experiences that come along with being out of the house for the first time, but I say, bring it on. Things are looking up.

Thanks for reading!

I grew up with Taylor Swift like an old friend, almost family, someone whose words and songs have always, always been there for me.

I was nine, sitting on the trampoline with my cousin, singing Love Story over and over again.

I was ten, at Guitar Center and convincing my dad to buy me the book of sheet music for the album Fearless; I picked up my guitar to learn how to play because of her.

I was eleven, asking for Speak Now for Christmas, the first ever album on CD I owned, and playing it in my pink CD player until I knew every word.

I was twelve, my very first year at summer camp, when I got up and played guitar and sang in front of people for the first time ever at the talent show; it was Enchanted.

I was fourteen, wading through the mire of loneliness, losing friends, and rejections from cute boys in middle & high school, and I would put on Dear John, All Too Well, Sad Beautiful Tragic, or Come Back...Be Here, and cry.

I was fifteen, living at my grandma's house with my family to get away from my dad, when 1989 was released, and I walked to Target after school to buy the best deluxe version of the CD with all the bonus tracks – it was worth every penny.

I was sixteen, looking back on the awful period of depression I got through the past few years, and put on Clean in headphones and let the healing, beautiful, calming tune wash over me.

I was nineteen, on a casual date with a boy I actually liked for the first time in a long time, sitting in the McDonald's parking lot eating fries, while my heart pounded as he put his arm around me, and Delicate was playing on the car radio.

I was twenty, finally in a relationship with the kid I'd loved since sixteen, and I choked up as I sang along to Lover, knowing that we could slow dance to it at our wedding one day.

And here I am at twenty one, on the verge of moving out, getting engaged, and beginning an entirely new life... and she surprised all of us with a new album of songs and stories, to define this summer and the months after.

She's gone through so many different phases of life, many different musical styles, and many different attitudes towards life and love. But no matter what, throughout the years of my life, she is always relatable to me, and familiar, like an old friend. I'll always be excited for a new album, no matter how much she changes her style or how much my life changes. Her music will always be special to me.

She has gone through so much, and it shows through in her ever-honest lyrics. It's an emotional experience going back through her songs of the past fifteen years, as she grew from an innocent, teenaged country singer, to a young woman navigating relationships, being shamed by the media, recovering from heartbreak and ridicule, and discovering herself.

Now, from the past two albums, Lover and folklore, it's so easy to see *how much she has grown* to love herself, be confident in making her own way, and entered into a healthy, long-lasting relationship after so much heartbreak.

Taylor Swift has always been there for me, and I'm proud and happy to still be there to listen to her tell her stories.

Thanks for reading!

LISTEN HERE:

https://open.spotify.com/track/77lonoP2aKYjy99jGNJf3r?si=CQ8OeJOpQ2KAbXVILkg8aw

One of my favorite local bands, Good Racket, recently changed membership and re-formed into a new project, Cherry Blossom Club. I've spent time at many local shows with some of the people in this band, and it's always been a blast – they're great people, as well as very talented and passionate about what they do!

This is their very first release under the new band name, and it does not disappoint. It's an upbeat, summery rock tune with catchy melodies and lyrics about being in love with someone from a distance. It has a bit of an old Fall Out Boy vibe in the vocal style, but with all the energy of a high school teen punk band. The track is deserving of my favorite descriptor... a banger.

Thanks for reading!

This month, we're going back to exactly one year ago in my journey through life and music: I was having a great time with it being summer, I was hanging out with new friends, and you could gather in large groups to go to rock concerts. A much better, simpler time than this July... let's get to those memories.

...

Smoking for the Aesthetic – Avery Grey

https://open.spotify.com/track/7HrWPQ6ISUcLNxhmdGB7bu?si=5cmxhbUATuyLb46vtepFSw

This girl was one of the many artists who completely caught me by surprise that summer, while I was working my local music venue's weekly Summer Sunday shows. She had a great voice, and wrote all original, interesting lyrics and tracks herself.

Eyes To The Sky – Jon Bellion

https://open.spotify.com/track/0WGIBojlsV9GT4A5xwjkE4?si=kGV3zh6_TLmSdprOT9JZgA

This was when I started to dig into Jon Bellion's older discography, and I remember playing this song CONSTANTLY, hanging out at the pool in my boyfriend's old apartment complex on our days off. We also went to see Jon Bellion in concert in this month, and it was a TOTAL blast; we danced and sang and had such a great time experiencing his talent live.

Saltwater Heart – Switchfoot

https://open.spotify.com/track/0mFVwzwb93v5yotuHMDyat?si=yVCFgoS6Tz2t2EbA0_04kA

This was also when I began going back through Switchfoot's older music, and this dreamy, summery tune was one of my favorite discoveries by far.

Florida – Lisa Cimorelli

https://open.spotify.com/track/15u5giTlsBHcHtk0AMYxx6?si=7fAEj8UYRRW4Y4STa6xFlw

This solo release from the most vocally talented Cimorelli sister (in my humble opinion) had me HOOKED for months on end. I COULD NOT stop listening to this song; it's just so catchy and the melody lines are so impressive.

The Day That I Found God – Switchfoot

https://open.spotify.com/track/5f2dreGGtXfReQWv9frSTZ?si=NhbIqQF_Ql-r2Twb3amUgQ

During this month, I was going through some intense mental stress, changing a large amount of my beliefs, and knowing that my life would change drastically because of it. This song was there for me, and serves as a reminder of me coming out okay on the other side, and finding God, which was the most important thing of all.

Sunny Side Up – The Timbre of Cedar

https://open.spotify.com/track/6a0iolQi43VaYP2cY54dGM?si=A7MQM1ZRRe2FqmyMVg3Dcw

This band are some dear friends of mine, and I wrote an entire review of this EP that you can read here! I remember driving back from vacation and listening to this tune for the first time; it's so happy and groovy.

In My Arms – Jon Foreman

https://open.spotify.com/track/7G2rU5r6u3ZLJA9uyCasi7?si=EsvHQLj8Qo2-ZatI9lUiow

This became one of “our songs”, and all you have to do is listen to it to see why. It's so soothing, beautiful, and romantic.

Restless – Switchfoot

https://open.spotify.com/track/55mzm4zrpY5r3uV1OPtaxu?si=Ud8seNIFQR-nzp2Ofm-J1A

Last July, I got to play a show with three of my friends in their existing band – I just added a rhythm guitar to fill it out and make it a four-piece. We spend many afternoons practicing together, but I will always remember one practice session in particular. We all just sat on the floor of one of the guy's bedroom, and after playing through our setlist, we just somehow ended up playing this song, singing our hearts out and playing (including the guitar solo!). I loved having so many moments like this with those friends, it meant a lot to me at that time in life.

Tears Won't Cry (SHINJU) – The Maine

https://open.spotify.com/track/7iZwbcvKJhudZ3Rp80rnhD?si=PZRoML_1Tj6-c8CBrtrpmA

Last July was the first year of Warped Tour's replacement, Sad Summer Fest! The Maine was one of the headliners for the big outdoor show, and they've been one of my favorite bands for years now. It was a great show, and I miss it a lot, especially not knowing when the next time I'll be able to go to a show is.

The Archer – Taylor Swift

https://open.spotify.com/track/3Y7MHz19qCg1Pkxridtu1k?si=R6jBTJ1aRZeXF9tLZNbk7A

This was one of Taylor Swift's very first releases in the new era of the album Lover, and I remember being so pleasantly surprised with this mellow, 80's flavored, and well-written tune.

Brown Eyes Boys – Lauren Cimorelli

https://open.spotify.com/track/3mXPFmpaxuDxRGzOJ2xw8b?si=AsvRTzAxQJKXEur_KkK0cg

Another Cimorelli sister kicked off her own solo career with this EP, and this song is SO catchy and unique, I couldn't stop playing it.

Won't Take No – Good Racket

https://open.spotify.com/track/6KHU5Zl9wbH11nCU7OmVIt?si=vfXeWtAoT8KI5sPJ50EuLA

At those aforementioned local summer Sunday shows, I got to see this band perform for the first time ever. I had never heard of them, and they were from a town about 45 minutes south of our venue, but I'll never forget how blown away I was by their performance. They had great energy, catchy songs, great singers and instrumentalists, and they just really knew how to capture your attention during a set. This was the first of MANY songs I listened to by them as soon as I got home from that show!

LISTEN TO MY WHOLE MONTH HERE:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4n1D2e0G1FBBuMxuaDr7IZ?si=5jP_gI8GQUiklguvh1yLjQ

Thanks for reading!

LISTEN HERE:

https://open.spotify.com/track/5d9pyimgnodyYCJ7frWNCJ?si=5SA7vyEVT1OlU86TsD6VAw

Brenna Shea makes catchy, acoustic R&B tunes – think Kehlani meets Tori Kelly. She's a Detroit native, attending the Detroit Institute of Music Education (DIME) and performing at my local venues (back when concerts were allowed to happen). This single is part of her debut EP, Mixed Emotions, that was just released yesterday.

This song is among my favorites on the six-song release, with a more cheerful, guitar-led feel, and some sweet acoustic drums instead of the usual hip-hop drum pads. The lyrics are about leaving behind an old life and being independent, hopeful for the future, and ready to live a new life.

Thanks for reading!

As someone who's only ever worked part-time, the term “overtime” MAY be a bit of a stretch. But regardless, lately my workload has increased far beyond what it's ever been before.

Even though everything I'm working on is interesting and relevant to my future career, it's still much more than I'm used to, and it's getting a little overwhelming trying to juggle all the different balls I've got in the air.

I still have the same day job I've had for over two years, working at my local credit union as a member service rep. That's been great, especially through the pandemic, since banking will never go out of business, and my paychecks and job were safe. But I now have my remote internship, with work and Zoom calls every single day, on top of writing for Coil and doing online classwork for my business degree!!

It's been a lot, to say the least.

I wish I could focus tons of time on writing valuable, entertaining posts for my blog, but I'm currently spending every spare second writing blogs for my boss's website! It's such a good learning experience, and I'm still so thankful to even have this internship (read about the crazy circumstances surrounding it here!). I'm just feeling stretched thin, and with my move-out date fast approaching, I'm sure life is only going to get crazier.

But I'm enjoying the little things and breaks I do get – I got to switch one of my work days and go up to our rental cottage on Lake Huron, and lay out in the sun for a day. My lovely boyfriend and I just went out for a very fancy dinner in downtown Ann Arbor that was supposed to happen in March (!), and I (almost) didn't think about working the whole evening.

I'm happy I have engaging work to keep me busy, but I'll be ready once I get a breather in a few weeks. In the meantime, hopefully I'll have some awesome, more well-thought-out blogs to post again soon!

Thanks for reading!