BLOG--Falling in Love

As I finish my last full day on the island, I began to reflect on how much I have fallen in love with this island.  But falling in love with a place is certainly different than falling ‘in love’ with someone.  I sort of look at the ‘falling’ process like the 5 stages of dying. 

Stage 1 – complete, unexplainable attraction.  A few looks, figuring out ways to stand next to the person, strike up some silly conversation, which, most of the time, makes no sense. 

Stage 2 – sexual tension.  You’ve moved on from the super awkward ‘what do I say when I am around’ this person, now I have a super intense desire to touch.

Stage 3 – more than a crush.  You have now explored a bit of stage 2 and, yet the feeling in the pit of stomach is still present.  Could it be something you ate? 

Stage 4 – insecurity.  You now are attempting to decide if the other person has the same feelings.  Most end up playing insecurity games – like ‘I am just not going to call first’ or will not say anything at all.  This is the tipping point --the wrong reaction can completely change the course and lead to the death of a relationship.

Stage 5 – resolution.  This is the final stage where you have to come to terms that you have fallen in love with this person.  You have still have remnants of stage 4, but you have no other explanation for how you feel. It's almost like acceptance.

Of course, when it comes to music, songwriters, including myself, have written songs about all of the stages. (John Mayer's famous Your Body is Wonderland, is about stage 2, for example.) 

I have decided that one can get stuck in-between stages.  Somewhere in Stage 3, and not quite Stage 4, is what I like to refer to as ‘a little in love.’    It’s not enough to push you past Stage 4 or to Stage 5, so you could drop out of the ‘falling in love’ stages at anytime, almost like a test drive.  This in-between stage just begs for a song.....

For those who did not see, I did a photo shoot down here on the island with fashion photographer Chrystele Escure.  (She is fantantic!) I have posted a few of the photos here, and will post more:  View Photos.

And one of my biggest surprises which I DO LOVE, is being nominated for Album and Best Debut of the year!  If you want to participate in the final stage of this process, you can cast your vote: http://www.takingovertheuniverse.net/p/vote-ucas-2012.html

Think happy thoughts and keep smiling!

FX