It was 50 years ago today...

... The Beatles sang in the USA.

Having arrived at the newly christened John F Kennedy airport in New York two day previously, The Beatles performed their first of three shows on the Ed Sullivan show on Sunday, February 9th, 1964. This performance began with "All My Loving" and in seconds, America fell in love.

Their first appearance had a record breaking 73 million views. This was just the start or America's Beatlemania. The Beatles were a sensation that did not end when they broke up on April 10th, 1970. I'd argue that Beatlemania exists today, in the young people discovering the music for the first time, for the people of my parents generation who haven't quite forgotten the thrill of the opening note of "A Hard Day's Night," for every band that was inspired by these four men, and for the millions who watched tonight's CBS Beatles Special that aired at the same time as their Ed Sullivan appearance.

For me, The Beatles have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was about 14, however, I truly discovered the magic their music could bring. I bought all of their albums,
most on vinyl, and declared them to be my favorite band. As bands these days seem to come and go like Taylor Swift's boyfriends, I would say that The Beatles still are number one in my book.

Last May I went to Hamburg and visited
many of the clubs where The Beatles
performed in the early 1960s.

The story of The Beatles is quite remarkable. The band just didn't 'work' until it was John, Paul, George, and Ringo (and fell apart when it became more than just the four of them). They were plenty popular in England and Hamburg before coming to America. In the first of their two long stints in Hamburg, bass was played by Stuart Sutcliffe, who tragically died two years before they went to America. Many other musicians were there throughout the years, but there is nothing like the sound of four young Limey men performing effortlessly.

When you search for The Beatles on Google, common results are:
"The Beatles are legend"
"The Beatles are the best"
"The Beatles are God"
"The Beatles are bigger than Jesus"
...etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

While some of these might be exaggerations, the point is made. The Beatles remain, to this day to be one of the most
influential and greatest bands of all time.

What a Year...

In late 2012, the so called 'end of the world' was approaching and I realized that, whatever happened, I would be ready for it. I looked forward to some sort of change that might affect me. As December 21st came and past with no change, I decided to look forward to the new year, seeing that as a point of possible change. To no one's surprise but my own, it was.

I started 2013 by moving to London for the semester. I had dreamed of living in Great Britain since I was a tween, and I had high hopes for what the next four months would bring. I lived with five friends from my school, Ithaca College, in a small and disheveled flat north of Hyde Park. Attending classes and an internship at a film company took only a small portion of my time, with the rest of it, I explored the sides of London not typically seen by tourists. After months of living there, I had no doubt that London was a place I could be content to live for the rest of my life, even if my wallet disagreed.

Before heading home from London, I spent 2 1/2 weeks on a solo backpacking trip through Northern Europe. Starting by visiting relatives in Norway, I followed an path through Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Poland. This trip was exactly the adventure I craved and I truly felt independent afterwards.

The summer rushed by and soon I was back in upstate New York at Ithaca. My semester was filled with requirements for my Cinema Production major and Anthropology minor. Although it was the most difficult work of my college career, it was by far the most rewarding. I have rethought what I might do post-graduation, and the Anthropology classes have fed my yearning to learn about the world.

In 2013, for the first time, I really felt like an adult. I signed leases, bought a car, and made decisions about my future.

Enough about me.

In 2013 the world changed in dramatic ways. The United States learned that some days the government can be so incompetent that it shuts down (and that they're watching us). A few possible cures for HIV/AIDS have been developed and are entering clinical trials. Vladimir Putin made drastic changes to the lives for LGBT people living in Russia. The government in Syria was killing thousands of their citizens with chemical weapons, almost causing an attack from the US. Ten states gained marriage equality (including my home state, Minnesota), more than doubling what it was before.

For some, this year was terrible: a typhoon devastated the Philippines, tornadoes swept across the Eastern United States, and tyrannical governments massacred their people.

For me, 2013 was pretty darn good. I am so blessed to be a part of the family I am, have the friends I have, and live in a time and place where anything can happen. Here's to making the most out of 2014, whatever may come.