Dear Faith, I’m On a Flight Headed for Austin, Texas

Dear Faith, I'm On a Flight Headed for Austin, Texas

I’m on a plane headed for Austin, Texas and I’m surrounded by hundreds of well-wished people. Every time I take a flight someplace, my parents text me ‘fly safe!’ and sitting here in my slightly delayed aircraft, I was thinking about how many of the passengers on here were given similar sentiments. I can’t think too much about how the people around me all have such rich lives of their own because then I start getting all spiral-y.

So instead… it’s answer time! I love your useless superpower so much because I think there is no reason for flies to be doing all that. MY personal useless superpower would probably be the ability to make people respond to my emails. Now, this IS useful in everyday life but I don’t think you can defeat a supervillain by having them draft an email. Unless you consider Big Company HR to be your most formidable adversary (me) (they want me dead) (please just answer my emails for the love of everything holy).

I’ve spent a large chunk of the last two weeks dedicated to applying. and reaching out. and making too many versions of my resume. and following up. and trying to guess company emails. and following up again.

Let’s just say I have not been nearly as successful in my searches as I had hoped. People just don’t answer their emails anymore.

I’ve been trying to not let the job market take over my entire life soooo in my free time (which is all the time) I’ve been taking voice lessons!!! Growing up, I learned, played, joined, and generally found myself in every possible hobby you can think of. Yes, I did every sport that has ever been invented. Yes, I gave up when I started high school and never played a sport again unless forced. I contain multitudes. (or as that one pediatrician would call it, ADHD)

One of the many interests I pursued as a child was music. I started off with church choir (shout out Golden Hills (You are the only one who will get it)), and quickly made my way into guitar lessons, then piano lessons, then voice lessons with Pepper Gamez my QUEEN. Eventually, I found my way into learning bass and I was really enjoying it, but unfortunately, one day, my teacher let me know he was moving to the south to become a chiropractor or to work in construction. I don’t remember which, it started with a C. I did not pursue music further.

All that to say… I’M BACK AT IT BABY.

For the longest time (due to my failed music learning ventures), I just thought I didn’t have the brain for music. As Tyler the Creator would say:

Now I’m taking voice lessons again, this time at Rock School. Yes, it is literally called Rock School and it is still the funniest thing ever. I’ve been going for around a month and I’m already seeing improvement which makes me HAPPYYYY. Working on projection and resonance has helped the most by FAR. I’ve also found that the vocal style I enjoy most is that annoying 2000s pop punk overenunciation. It’s just too GOOD. And very unserious. Mackcore <3

I’m trying to be a bit more open about things I’m learning because I tend to keep to myself about projects. Mainly due to the time I was trying to learn French and I wasn’t too far into my self taught curriculum and my dad felt the need to let the family of the French exchange student we hosted know that I could speak French ON A LIVE VIDEO CALL. So um. I am trying to be more comfortable with being put on the spot. It’s also just fun to be the ‘move in silence’ friend. I deleted social media apps from my phone and am only available through call or text <3

A lot happened in the past two weeks so let me speedrun a few things:

★ Saw the Northern Lights again (Washington is awesome)

★ Dropped off my mail in ballot before leaving for Texas (VOTE!!!!! and especially pay attention to the down ballot, your local government has much more of an effect on you than you might think. It’s also just fun to learn about local elections.)

★ I wanted to have more movement while I practiced my bass, so I got a headphone amp that has built in fx and I’ve never had my jaw drop faster than when I turned on the distortion. What the hell. Metallica, call me.

★ Dropout TV’s Misfits & Magic Season 2 is currently airing and why do they have me crying already on episode three. It’s insane. Evan Kelmp, you are so important.

★ This brand, Mudita, is coming out with a simplified e-ink phone called the Kompakt that I want SO bad. I would finally be able to give my phone lockbox a break.

★ One of my besties made me a playlist that is so good, it’s all I’ve been listening to. (Shoutout Fil <3)

★ Once I get a new job, she will be mine. Oh how I love you Harley Benton PB-50 FR Vintage Red.

★ I’ve restarted the best podcast ever made from the beginning (it’s Welcome to Night Vale. I have all the books. and a Khoshekh plushie. Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor I need you to know you changed my life.)

Now. I have to yell about something and if any of you feel strongly about this too, please email me at mack@wearesuperfan.com. Yes, this is a letter to Faith. I am breaking the fourth wall. I need this.

The first behind the scenes looks at Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling as the most important character (to me) in literary history, Ryland Grace, have come out. And I have never been less normal in. my. entire. life.

HOLYFUCKITNTNEOWHWHWKRHELWHWJQLWHEKDKRHELWHEKELFJFNDKDHFLWHWKEHDNDKFNDKD

I LOVE YOU RYLAND GRACE

Faith. This is Ryland Grace. This is the man who teaches science to junior high schoolers and put a jar of spaghetti and a boiled egg next to all the other science-y jars just to confuse his students. This is the man who woke up with no memory on a spaceship but was still immediately silly with it because silliness is found in his BONES. The Princess Diana of outer space. This is chronically single, wildly endearing, love of my entire life, Ryland Grace. Unfortunately, once this movie comes out I will be the most annoying person on planet earth. I will be going to the first showing of this movie with a whole ass spacesuit on.

I don’t want to spoil the book for you so PLEASE read it before the movie.

And now my flight is landing, so excuse me while I have a very Austin weekend. Will update.

I’m baaaack. While that may have only felt like a one line pause to you, it was 3 days for me (let’s go time travel).

For a brief few days, Austin not only hosted the Formula 1 US Grand Prix (I was in the same city as Lando Norris, Pato O’Ward, Jenson Button AND Glen Powell… bro), that one football game I know nothing about other than it caused far too much traffic, and the bi-annual record convention, but also me and 2 of my best friends!!!!!

We got to see Vundabar and Courting play at Mohawk (pics below, if someone saw me Matrix bending to get a shot in the pit, no they didn’t), played mini golf under the very hot Austin sun, and went bowling all dressed as The Chosen. Committing to the bit is always the most fun with friends.

vundabar + courting @ mohawk austin!!!

We navigated the city using Eddie and Venom’s voices on Waze (EDDIE I THINK I’M GONNA BE CARSICK. Not on the seats.) and I pointed out every cactus I saw. The last day ended with the Austin record convention where I found (read: Tess found) Metallica’s Load album AND the Killer Klowns from Outer Space soundtrack on CD. Nothing has ever been more Mackcore. Haul below because I won so hard.

HAUL AF!!!!!!!!!!

And now I’m heading home on yet another plane, this time next to an off-duty pilot who saw my Metallica shirt and told me their show in New Jersey was very disappointing because he didn’t get to hear Enter Sandman. Listen, I get it, but the Metallica show I went to in August was the best concert of my life and permanently changed my brain chemistry so… hey!

I’ll be on a flight to you soon and I am so excited, I might explode. I can’t wait to hang out with you again, it’s been WAY too long… Plus I’ll be writing my next letter on a weekend trip just like this one. Perfect timing.

Now… I’ve been thinking a lot about the beginning of my favorite musicians’ careers lately. I would KILL to see Metallica or My Chemical Romance when they were early in their careers. I gotta know… if you could pick any band or singer to see when their career was in its infancy and they were still playing small venues, who would it be? Pick however many you want, I find this topic endlessly interesting.

Miss you always and forever, Mack

P.S. My dad just drove me home from the airport and when I mentioned my voice lessons, he asked me to sing something for him. I remembered what I wrote earlier about putting myself out there and if I can’t even show what I’ve been working on to my family, what’s the point? I sang a bit of a song as best I could with my dehydrated travel voice and he looked so happy that I shared it with him so !!! I’m making personal progress.