We’re 27 days into this cruise adventure, and while we’re all exhausted, it’s the best kind of exhausted.  If there is such a thing.

We loaded up the Mayercraft Carrier yesterday and had an amazing day!  This trip is extra special for me because my mom, my sister, and my Peepers (don’t ask) are onboard.   After being away from home so long, it’s great to have a couple of familiar faces around.

The weather was perfect as we sailed away and John welcomed everyone on the Lido deck, and the Carnival staff passed out free drinks in hypercolor cups (maybe my favorite invention ever).  Brett Dennen played the sail away party, and another trip was underway.

We hosted a Local 83 Happy Hour that I attended, and it was so awesome to meet people I’ve been talking to all year.  Almost all Mayercrafters are new to me, since this is a first year cruise.  I’ve spoken to a ton of people throughout the year via phone or e-mail, but  have met very few in person.   It was a great time!  And I’ll never get tired of introducing myself to people and hearing the excited response, “Oh!  You’re Lauren!?”  It’s pretty cool knowing you had a hand in making people so happy.

Lots of great shows yesterday – Colbie Caillat on the deck, Dave Barnes and Oakhurst in the Casino Bar, good ol’ Fran in the atrium, and (of course) John’s main stage show.  It was probably one of the best concerts we’ve seen in that room since our cruising began.  But the show that really gave me chills (and, actually, the only concert that I’ve seen that I wasn’t scheduled to work all month) was Brandi Carlile.

She played right after John in the same theater, and she wasn’t afraid to let people know she was nervous.  The first thing she said was, “Great, I’m the chick who has to follow John Mayer with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a cello player.  Fuck.”   Let me tell you – she didn’t need anything else.  There were only a couple hundred people in the room, but while she played, everyone was perfectly silent and completely in awe of her voice and stage presence.  She played a bunch of her own songs and threw in some of the best covers I’ve ever heard – Creep, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Hallelujah.  I can’t wait to see her again tonight.  Brandi – if I could, I’d marry you.   And make you sing to me every minute of every day.

Yesterday was one of the best days I’ve had all month.  Thanks, Mayercrafters.