#17 - Melissa Plett Reboot!!

Why hello there!
How are YOU doing?  It's been quite some time since I've spoken to you.  I hope you're living your life to the fullest and just down right GIVEN'R!

My life in Quebec has been, if I'm honest... pretty great!
I bought a condo that we've done some fantastic renovations on, I've made a bunch of great friends in which I've formed the STIFF COMPETITION softball team with, and I've begun to learn french... sort of.

That's right... softball... me..?!

But yes, there have been frustrations... MANY frustrations.  Missing my family has been by far the hardest and the language has caused a HUGE barrier in any career path I like to pretend I'm on. Various things have lead me to COMPLAIN the year away!  But as I sit here in a rather chilly Starbucks (it's the end of October why they heck is the heat not on?!), and I look ahead to the next couple of months, I realize I'm a selfish little whiner that should get her act together!

The best way I can describe how I had been feeling?  Like my body was walking around but my spirit was slipping away more and more.  Ask any of my friends and they say I was still myself... but let's just chalk that up to my awesome acting skills??  I've always prided myself in being the girl that ALWAYS "figures it out".  Even though I dramatically blow things out of proportion, I know inside every-thing's actually fine.  Not gonna lie... this past year I actually got to a point where I really didn't know how it was going to work out and that no,  not everything WAS going to be ok.

Then my true breaking day came and I found myself screaming into my hands, calling out "What?!  What am I doing wrong and what do you want me to do?!!".  Slowly little situations started happening that piece by piece started to pull me back into my body... back to being Melissa Plett.

The BIGGEST one was this fall as my family was hit HARD with the news of my Mom being diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumor.  For those of you that know my Mom... no one could have seen this coming for that healthy stubborn little red head! But it did. (As I'm sure it's a shock to all cancer victims)  Thankfully they removed the tumor and she is currently in full on chemo and radiation mode.  The PLUS side?  My Mom's a fighter and she's decided to giver! This is a true testament to people out there as to what "I AM STRONG" really means!  A big ass kicker for me for sure...

3 days after her surgery!  AWESOME!

The next came when my good ol' fiddle player gave me a pep talk. I sat there listening to him, over the beer we were having, between the ceremony and reception of a wedding in which I was a Maid of Honor at.

 

But as we sat there, catching up from almost a year of not playing together, he looked at me and said blankly:
"What's your problem?"
Ummm...
"Anybody that has seen you on ANY stage knows that's where you belong!  Just because we don't live in the same province does not mean we can't play.  Many bands do it!  So why aren't you playing?"

Sounds simple enough hey?
But when you've been letting yourself slip away for the past year in a state of resentment, anger, and lack of motivation this is EXACTLY what you need to hear!
What the heck IS my problem?!

Then, as I left Manitoba and headed back to Quebec, music started to come to mind again... I picked up my guitar, that had been sitting quiet for a better part of the year, and started to play.

And now I'm here... deep in thought as my beautiful boyfriend waits patiently for me... having quite my 4th Quebec job this year, putting my house BACK on the market and planning my future steps.... I know it's all uncertain but it's also the beginning of a Melissa Plett Reboot and it's going to be GREAT!

#16 - What A Year

I'm not gonna lie... this has been a tough year of adjustments.
Playing that old game of "Who the heck am I?!" "What so I DO now that's I've grown up?"
And you know what... still workin' on that.  I'll let you know what I conclude.
One thing that's true, the age lines are getting thicker, the waste line a bit wider, stress level a TAD higher but it's time to be out with the old and in with the new.
(Whatever that "new" may be)

One thing is the home of my 20s.  20 Fawcett Ave in Winnipeg.
A few years ago Keven and I took on the challenge of renovating that character home, and now it's on the market.  Here are a couple before and after photos for you... enjoy!

Let me know what you think!
I will post a couple more tonight!!

Much Love
Melissa

#15 Recap the Summer

Well well well... since I seem to be quite bad at keeping up this blog, I once again must recap:

As I mentioned in the last post, I turned a significantly "large" number this summer.  For that, my beautiful man took me to New York for my first, and surely not last, time!

Being as I was now in Quebec, thankfully friends and family wanted to take advantage of that and spoil me with visits!  This made it a bit more exciting to be in a "country" I was not happy to be in...  First on the visit list was my brother Anthony and his, then fiancé now wife, Becki.  

Ohhhh man... this was a fantastic little weekend!!  And here are a few, not nearly all, photos from the adventure!

(Please note:  Seems we have an issue with constantly striking a pose) 

Good ol' Montreal

Bixi around the Island

The one regular event of the summer... Port Sangria at Jardine Nelson.

(The best Sangria I've yet to taste)

Settlers of Catan and cool beers in the Park of Mount Royal

Anth and his wicked awesome buddy...

And finally the night of 5 Hour Engery shots at Keven's favorite pub.

This ultimately turned into a quote-night / giggle-fest for my brother and I.

Shortly after this fantastic weekend, Best Friend Terri came out for Bon St Jean!!

It was a rainy little weekend but we had a fantastic time with rubber boots, Heindricks Gin, and a whole lot of shopping!

I returned to Manitoba for a gig or two and then returned to Quebec only to have my parents and sister join me for a week!!

Sadly this was ALSO a rainy week so I was unable to give them the GREAT time I promised.  Thankfully they settled for a cramped little condo and a good time.

Again, lots of eating and shopping. 

One cold site-seeing day on Mount Royal

Keven bought everyone a flower and romanced my Dad... Everyone except me of course. 

We found this restaurant while running from the rain!  First door we found open so we jumped in!  Sadly, not so great...

One afternoon I tried showing my Mom and sister the fantastic shopping downtown Montreal, unfortunately it began to rain... again... so we stepped into this pub and ate old, uncooked food.  It was... awesome?

Sandra and Mom found their cat walk so all was well.

One day the rain eased for a bit and we managed to have a fantastic adventure in, *cough*gag*, Laval Quebec.  Fromageries, sugar shacks, and apple farms.

But, as always, all great things come to an end and they headed back to good ol' Manitoba

Then, as summer came to its end, and my current "entrapment" in Quebec became clearer and clearer as I searched for a condo to call... temporary home, I was still able to go back to Manitoba for a super fun family wedding!

So what now?  Now I sit IN my new condo, renovating it room by room, hoping my inspiration will continue to grow.  As well as, my likeness for Quebec.  It's a process, not gonna lie, but with each season coming to a close, I look back and think of how awesome the crappy times really can be!

#14 What a Decade...

So there you go... all done with my 20s, time to grow up and "act my age"

Not the most flattering picture but you get the point... not really sure how a 30 year old is supposed to "act"

The past 10 years have been the most amazing... I lived in Vancouver and developed the most amazing friends and memories out there.
Everything from studying acting, falling in love, to learning guitar and driving Trans Ams down town Vancouver.
Working as a "mountain carny" on my week long journey to "find myself" (turned into a couple months) while living in the same apartment building as great buddies, to catching my 2nd batch of pneumonia and heading home to MB.

I got a "real job" in radio, bought a car with the hopes it would "settle me down" in one place, met a new best friend while trying to get her to break up with her boyfriend (I have opinions... I just didn't think they were right. Haha!) and then finally deciding to try out Winnipeg.

Got an apartment, bought a house on the same street, worked other radio jobs, all the while starting to realize I like writing songs and I sure do love to travel.

In a mix of good roommates, bad roommates, recording my first EP, trips to Mexico, the states and BC, I had a serious amount of childish crushes, adventures, and so much self discovery.  I wouldn't say I ever actually had to "find" myself, I just kept developing who I was... and every day was filled with adventure and drama.

I loved every minute of the fun and the pain.

Four years ago I was in a band, Little Black Dress,

 met the love of my life,

felt like a child as we celebrated HIS 30th

and now I am exactly the age he was when we met... feels weird.

Even in the last years of my 20s I travelled many times to Mexico on "Spring Break" with my sister and parents,

went to Florida with Keven,

a couple times to Vegas,

 California,

Quebec.

I went on tour in my crappy little Acura with my Mom to New Mexico and back, all the while sleeping in the back seat.

Taking a SERIOUS detour through Vegas

Making it back just on time (after being stuck in a freak snowstorm) to a classic Halloween Party in Blumenort!

I've had the pleasure of performing in South Carolina at a super fun wedding,

And then meeting, recording, and performing with the best group of musicians I have the honour of playing with!

Some how I managed to purchase another property that has definitely deepened the lines on this forehead, but as the transient roamer I am, never holding down a "real job", it seems like the best retirement plan...

An amazing last couple of months had me in Mexico for yet ANOTHER "Spring Break",

 Then driving from Guadalajara to Winnipeg with my amazingly awesome parents,

sleeping 1 night, and then hitting the road with my dear friend (and now soon to be sister-in-law) to Montreal...

a seriously long and awesome road trip! 

And now, here I sit, in a shoebox size apartment in Montreal. 

Working on love, working on music, and a little anxious and stressed about what the future holds.

People say 30's are better then your 20's but I don't know... my 20's were so full of adventure and truly living out my quote "I'd rather die living than live not alive"... I feel a bit lost.  Now what?  How can I out live my 20's?

Shoot... I guess we'll have to see... and try not to stress out too much about it. 

(Not good for the lines on my face)