1ST WEEK: So wait - I'm in New York??

New York City. The Big Apple. The skyscrapers, the smells, the sounds and the colors, the ocean of people running, working, laughing, yelling, dancing… It’s an explosion, a dream, everything you see in the movies and hear in the songs. So much to see, so much to experience.

The first week? Like any other tourist, you’ll spend it with your jaw on the ground, head facing the sky, trying your best to adjust your brain to the energy and the size of the city and all its wonders. 

My first week?

Well, while the past days have been without a doubt full of everything mentioned above, I just simply haven’t had enough time or energy to fully realize everything that’s happening around me. It’s really amazing how, when you’re here to work, you kind of just adapt to the fast pace of the city. I arrived on Sunday evening, and the working started first thing on Monday. On my second day I was already busy enough to join the working newyorkers in crossing the street at a red light, having the morning coffee on a train and finding the slow tourists, who were blocking my way, very annoying - but I’m loving all of it! Sure it’s a bit stressful and new in the beginning, but it's definitely what I came here to do. A lot of songwriting which I looove, but also naturally a lot of planning and organizing and stuff... but the fuzz is getting clearer and clearer every day. I'm feeling confident!

Also, it’s so weird how the city doesn’t feel scary or too big, not even that strange (except for the climate, who knew it’d be this hot, like +35°C!?)… In fact, at times it actually feels, crazy enough, pretty familiar. How could it feel familiar to a girl who moved here from as far as Helsinki? The answer must be in all the amazing, wonderful people who have made me feel so safe and welcome. It’s all still so far away from home, so I’m reeeaally lucky to feel I’ve got friends here!

All in all, although there’s a lot of stuff yet to be learned and it might feel tough at times, before anything else this week has been a looot of fun, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here, doing what I love. And even if at times I might get lost in the hurries, there are still these little moments, at least once a day, when I look up and around and suddenly realize where I actually am, how crazy it is, and how lucky I am to be here!

So here's to the first week, still alive and very excited, can't wait to see what the next one might bring...!

<3

Peppina

(I'll post some pictures here as well, as soon as I figure out how to transfer stuff from my phone to this laptop - meanwhile you can go check my instagram (peppinamusic), I try my best to post frequently! :) )

READY TO GO?

See that girl above? She’s standing on a hill in Helsinki, Finland, and she’s going to leave her home tomorrow. The city, the country, family and friends, everything. Pretty big, huh? And guess what, she’s only 18 years old! But I wouldn’t worry about her, it’s pretty obvious she’s ready to go… or well, at least she’s obviously super excited about it. To be honest, she’s also a bit nervous. To be perfectly honest, she’s actually freaking out right now, ’cause it’s the CRAZIEST THING EVER HAPPENED TO HER, EVER, but you know, I still wouldn’t be worried.

First of all, during the past year, she's had quite a lot of experience with crazy things happening to her already. With having practically no previous experience in performing to big audiences, she sang her own song together with a famous actor in front of TV cameras and almost 2000 people at The Orpheum Theater in LA, and yes, survived. She performed another one at Sundance Film Festival with the same actor, still didn't die. She watched how these songs were featured as segments on a TV show that was aired in the US and no, her brain didn't explode (not literally at least). All this because she dared to start sharing music online two years ago on a site called hitrecord.org. So yeah, you'd think she'd be pretty used to crazy things by now.

Also, she’s got this thing. A passion, a dream, an obsession, call it what you want, but it’s been burning her all her life: Music. Music, music, music. Writing, singing, composing, playing, remixing, you name it, she loves it. And this love drives her on. For years the thought of a future where she could make a living by making music was only a daydream, something too wonderful to ever be possible. But after everything that happened during the past year, these daydreams have slowly but steadily started to seem a bit more reachable.

So, could we get to the point already, please? Well, during her adventures she made some new friends and these friends want to help her on her career. And so now this girl is leaving to an adventure to New York, The Big Apple, to make her first album and hopefully start her journey towards turning those daydreams into reality!

Oh yeah, and by the way, that girl is me.

This blog will be my diary, a way to keep my head together with all the crazy changes that are about to happen in my life, and not to mention, a way to share this story with all the family and friends, old and new, from all around. Anyone who’s interested, join the adventure! :)

So with these words, see you in September, Helsinki! This bird is flying to the West!

<3 Peppina