have you ever met someone and wondered how you had gone your entire life up until that point without them being in it? that is how i felt when i met jaclyn. she is truly my soul sister. from 2008 until now, our bond has grown closer and closer each year. this is part of why i was more than happy to kick off my birthday this year with a little coffee date with her and her youngest son at a time slot that is typically reserved for just misu and me. while i was pumped to see one of my favorite bottles of rosé on the table, my heart fluttered when i saw a little jewelry pouch. let me introduce you to: little words project.
the brand’s mission is to create jewelry that is meant to be passed on – “our handcrafted pieces are made to be worn, loved and shared – bringing self-love and kindness to each person they touch. wear your little word , then pass it on to someone who needs it more.” what a beautiful sentiment. it is amazing to think of the impact a little word or two can have on a person.
jaclyn and i are similar in that we wear jewelry every single day – rings, watches, earrings and for jaclyn, bracelets. my wrist is larger and can be harder to fit so it is rare that i see a bracelet that i both love and fits me comfortably. this one checks off both boxes. even with the bands being elastic, they have a variety of sizes for women, men and children. while there are multiple bracelets that are premade, you can customize it with whatever you want. i love that she and i have matching ones that say “grateful” – not only do we practice gratitude daily in our roles as therapists but we practice gratitude in our personal lives as well. without a doubt, jaclyn is one of the people in my life i am most grateful for.
to explore what they have to offer, click here! if you already have something from them, tell me about it in the comments.
today marks seven years since the passing of connie jean garrison or as many of you have heard me affectionately call her, grammy.
grammy and me – 1991
since my grandmother left this earth, i have found that my body tends to have a visceral reaction to the month of may. as april comes to a close, i will begin to feel ill and by the time may hits, it often feels like too much to handle – her anniversary on the 7th, mother’s day the second sunday of the month and papa’s (my grandfather’s) birthday on the 17th. the trifecta really isn’t the vibe. this year was the very first one where that dread wasn’t present. i tried to think of why that could be and i realized it isn’t one thing in particular but a combination of many things.
i see my grandmother often – in a piece of art hanging in my bedroom that she gave to me, whenever i see rich hues of purple, in the white cross in misu’s coat, whenever i see 6:30 on the clock (her birthday was june 30th), when someone says i feel like home to them, whenever i host an event, when dmx comes on shuffle, whenever i bake something sweet for someone i love, when i get a great deal while shopping, when i walk through the rose garden on campus at scu, when dreaming (while asleep or awake) and honestly, at some point each and every single day. after turning 34, i realized that i see her most in myself with each passing year.
while i have always believed in spirits, i will say this has increased exponentially since grammy passed. in spring of 2021, i had a powerful reading with an extraordinary psychic/medium, cassidy rey. during the reading, grammy came through and she was quite vocal. the two messages that stood out the most to me during that reading were about my future children and my health. i have said forever that i know i am meant to be a mom, even if it means i do it alone. i have wondered what that journey might look like for me. my grandmother said that my children are currently with her and she would send them to me when i was ready. the irony? at that time, cassidy did not have children. currently? cassidy is expecting her first child and she will be raising him solo. in regards to my health, grammy told cassidy i was going to be getting incredibly sick and that the best thing i could do was increase my physical activity. she acknowledged seeing me putting in the work but said i needed to do more. i had just began training twice a week with grit and gratitude fitness in mid march. this reading was in may. in june, i increased my sessions to four times a month and added in a fifth day of activity (swimming for one hour). in august of 2021, i got one of the worst cases of covid i’ve ever heard of from anyone that lived to tell the tale. i was in the hospital for about five weeks, was on a ventilator for 17 days and had to learn how to do basic things like how to walk or even hold a fork again. when i woke up from my coma, the doctor expressed that with the tons of cases of covid he saw in icu, it wasn’t age, vaccination status, bmi or preexisting conditions that determined whether or not someone made it out – it was if they had been physically active for at least the last 90 days. grammy came to visit me while i was in my coma and told me i couldn’t come back here to visit her – that she would come see me. she kept repeating that over and over again. when i woke up and was told about how i nearly died, i immediately realized what she meant. i also couldn’t help but think of my reading with cassidy and how the messages she delivered urged me to double down on taking my health seriously and how angel (my trainer) helped facilitate that journey.
this year, i feel the healthiest and strongest i have in my adult life. i know wholeheartedly that i am currently the version of myself grammy would be most proud of because i am creating the life i have always wanted for myself without apology and without wavering. that is something she did at an early age and far before women were praised for creating their own happiness even if taking an alternate route to get there. when in doubt, i frequently ask myself: what would grammy do? as i’ve gotten older, i feel her with me as i am making pivotal decisions. there is nothing more peaceful than that. while i used to dread may, specifically the seventh, this seventh anniversary has proven to be the best one yet.
if you are looking to connect with a loved one or simply find out more about your path, definitely connect with cassidy rey. if you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask me. this post isn’t sponsored – it is just something that was on my heart to share on the anniversary of my favorite girl in the world.
every april, you can find me in the desert at coachella. since 2015, i have never missed a year and after each trip, i am reminded of why i go each year. you might be thinking that coachella was last month so this post might seem a bit overdue. that wouldn’t be entirely wrong. however, presale tickets going on sale today and my group already securing ours for 2025 made today the perfect day to do this post.
each year, i purchase tickets blind. while i typically don’t like surprises, i love so many different genres of music that it has never felt risky to buy tickets without knowing who will be performing. at the beginning of this year when the lineup was dropped, many people talked about how the lineup was disappointing. i didn’t feel that way at all. i think people have become a bit too accustomed to seeing people like beyoncé, ariana grande and lady gaga. while all three of those artists are ones i love and some i’ve paid a pretty penny to go see outside of coachella, i don’t go to coachella expecting everyone to fall into the top 40 category. if anything, some of my favorite artists of all time are ones i discovered at coachella. anj and i actually talked at length about this on episode seven of our podcast, twin time.
let’s get into this year:
there were six of us staying in the sweetest airbnb in palm springs. the big nonnegotiables are multiple bathrooms, central air, great wifi and a pool. anything else is truly an added bonus. i typically do all of the grocery/booze shopping ahead of time and get to the house first so everyone else can arrive and just let their hair down. we stayed up late thursday night catching up, having cocktails, playing cards and most importantly, discussing our lineup. there was definitely some overlap but luckily, none of us were afraid to see people on our own.
friday was phenomenal. i started off at main stage in vip and listened to sabrina carpenter. she has pipes! next, i met up with anthony to see brittany howard. many people know her from the alabama shakes. this was arguably the best set of the day. her connectivity with her fans? the rawness of her voice? how soulful she was? UNMATCHED. at that set, we met this adorable australian couple. they were in their 50s and were at the set as a duo but were at the festival with their three kids (26, 23 and 16). you could feel the love radiating from them. the husband wanted to know how many coachellas we each had been to and was shook when i said this was my eighth. we exchanged stories about favorite sets from last year and all of us couldn’t stop talking about metro boomin. i will never get over how music truly brings people together in such a special way.
brittany howard – no zoom needed when you’re this close
next, i rapped along to lil uzi, swayed to peso pluma and was entranced by lana del rey – especially when she brought out jon batiste and billie eilish. lana and billie doing “ocean eyes” together will be seared in my memory forever. an added bonus? running into heidi klum in vip and watching her be an absolute gem to any person that walked up to her and/or asked for a photo. and yes – she is just as stunning in person. the icing on the cake? getting to see one of my favorite students from webb. julia is a fellow music junkie.
julia + me
saturday was sensational. our group definitely got a bit of a later start to the day but somehow, i packed in nearly everyone i wanted to see. i started with jon batiste – i didn’t know what to love more: him solo, his duet with willow smith or his pink velvet suit. this was a set i saw on my own. just when i thought i couldn’t be more impressed, i heard to beat drop for “back that azz up” – because i remember him doing tiny desk with juvenile, i figured he was going to crank out an instrumental. then, juvie himself came out on stage. as someone born in 1990, there are few things as impactful as “back that azz up” – seeing it live at coachella with an aperol spritz in hand will be something i tell my grandchildren about.
aperol spritz? always. art installation
i retired at main stage for the rest of the night. why would i need to move when i could see blur, no doubt and tyler the creator back to back to back? blur sounded amazing. no doubt still has it and had me DEEP in my feels. if they do a world tour, i will paying whatever it costs to be front and center. olivia rodrigo seemed pumped to guest appear with them. tyler did not disappoint. he also brought out so many guests – childish gambino, asap rocky, kali uchis and one of my all time favorites, charlie wilson. i felt like i had teleported to the living room of my adopted grandmother, miss bessie. i will be sure to include a video on my instagram.
anthony + me no doubt tay + me
sunday was so special. i started with carin leon and am now a fan. next, i frolicked over to the rose garden for a little relaxation and was able to enjoy victoria monet’s set from there. this girl is TALENTED. i also can’t pretend i didn’t dance on my own when she brought out sexyy red. next, i met up with tay’s group and moved way closer to the stage for tems. her voice is as smooth as butter in person. she is also DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. i don’t know that i’ve seen a more humble and grateful performer. wiz kid and justin beiber coming out? i think the crowd could have collectively fainted. next, we went over to see jhene aiko. while i’ve seen her do a song or two, this was my first time witnessing a full set. she was incredible. i was already sold before she brought out big sean, tyga, saweetie or omarion.
tems
we ended the night at doja cat – i knew she would kill it after seeing her at coachella in 2022 and at chase center here in sf in 2023. talk about a true performer – if you haven’t seen her, run – don’t walk!
with that being said, whether or not i was going in 2025 was a no brainer. my group secured tickets this morning and are already planning. was i exhausted afterwards? absolutely. my energy looked pretty similar to misu’s on the drive back.
misu post coachella 2024
i was recently asked when i would retire going to coachella. i think my answer is if i’m super pregnant or newly breastfeeding. otherwise, you can catch me in the desert as long as i am able bodied.
if you’ve gone to coachella, what was your favorite year or favorite performance? if you haven’t gone, what are you waiting for?
keep up with k.tap 