Embrace the Unexpected2/16/2024 Last week, an unexpected invitation showed up in my inbox: "Hey Ashley, do you want to watch the Krewe of Thoth Mardi Gras parade from my house in New Orleans?"
It was from an ukulele acquaintance who I'd never met in person and had only exchanged a few messages with before. My initial instinct was worried, "Hmm...that's a long time to spend at a aquaintance's place. What if it's awkward? Or what if I don't feel good?" [I've learned that being pregnant can throw you all kinds of morning sickness curveballs...] But the optimist in me disagreed, "This is exactly what your sister wants to do when she flies in (go to a NOLA parade), and finding easy restroom access is one of the main reasons you're leery about doing that. Watching the parade from the comfort of someone's house could meet both of those requests." A flashback popped in my head to my younger, more adventurous self living abroad. Back then I wouldn't have hesitated to say, "Count me in!" [When you're living daily outside your comfort zone in a foreign country and 2nd language, saying "yes" to new things becomes second nature.] "And getting to view a major Mardi Gras parade from the convenience of a house would be a new experience that might not come along again..." I decided to take a chance and said, "Let's do it!" My mom, sister and I ended up having a great time (lovely company, no packed crowds fighting for beads, bathroom access, AND lots of king cake to munch on throughout the afternoon). We're now officially spoiled for all future parades! I invite you to "embrace the unexpected" this month, too, and see what cool things you get to do/see/experience! With gratitude, Ashley
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A Little Bit of Big News2/6/2024 One of the most important habits you can cultivate to keep yourself growing personally/professionally is a habit of "going out of your comfort zone" on a regular basis. Even though this can be a little scary at times, I love working on this habit because it keeps life fun, interesting, and often proves I can do WAY MORE than I thought possible! But honestly, the last 3 months have been a whole new level of comfort-zone busting because now it's time for me to trust my BODY to do WAY MORE than it has ever done...  Adam and I are very excited to be embarking on this new phase of life together. We can already tell that 2024 is gonna be a wild ride and can't wait to meet "Baby Orlandeaux" this summer. I hope you'll come along for the adventure! In music news, Brian Breen and I had a great time playing again for the LSU Friends of French Studies Annual Dinner at the Baton Rouge Country Club last week. We even got to meet the new French Consul General, Rodolphe Sambou, who extended an open invitation for us to visit the Consulate in New Orleans. Here's to taking him up on that soon! With heart-filled gratitude, Ashley  AuthorAshley Orlando is a jazz vocalist/ukulele artist and joyologist on a mission to help 1 million women find their voice through music, inspiring stories, and communication skills. Archives
July 2025
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