This is a trip Sarah and I have been wanting to take since we first heard Ben Rector like five years ago! Okay, well maybe not this exact trip! But the desire to see him in concert was definitely there! Ben came to Columbus last fall on the leg of his Magic Tour and we just couldn’t get there! It’s an understatement to say we were disappointed! But those feelings made this whole trip that much more special!

We discovered his music about five years ago after one of his songs was featured in a movie called “October Baby”! And it didn’t take long for us to become obsessed with his music! Those were the days that Pandora Radio was the most popular app for music and I can remember his station being my absolute favorite and tailored to just the right music! If you ask, Sarah will tell you that she listened to him first and introduced us all to him, but as her little sister, I can’t always agree, right?

For Sarah’s birthday this year, I surprised her with tickets to Ben’s Magic Tour Part 2 in Louisville! Our planning then began and we discovered the cutest Airbnb to stay overnight in! If you’re ever in Louisville, you HAVE to check out Bed and Bike! The style of their apartments is straight out of a magazine and the service they provide is awesome! You even get access to two complimentary bikes to use during your stay! If it hadn’t have been February, Sarah and I definitely would have taken them for a spin!

With everything booked and travel plans in motion, we WAY overpacked our bags and hit the road! The journey there wasn’t the smoothest in the world because ya know, Cincinnati traffic! (and all the Ohioans can attest!) And at one point a gauge in the car went haywire and gave us a scare, but all in all, we made it safe and just in time to rush over and grab our seats for the concert!

Ben Rector was everything we expected and more in person! His entire set was great and it was so fun being in a room filled with people who can sing his songs and get just as excited as we do! Ben is also SUPER relatable during his set and likes to say exactly what you’re thinking throughout the set. From a “phintermission” (three minute intermission for your phone) to a whole explanation of how awkward encores are! He had us laughing so many times but also just made us all feel so welcomed! And that’s not easy to do from a stage! If you are a fan of his and have the chance to go see him in concert, don’t hesitate for a second! It’s worth every penny!

The rest of our trip consisted of a late night movie and face masks! (Well at least I watched the movie!) And then we got up the next day to grab some fun photos in/of our airbnb before heading out to grab some coffee! I was for sure in my element as I moved our bags around and found even the tiniest thing to style. We worked with the one, small window and I got to teach Sarah some things about my camera! After that we loaded everything up, found a green bush outside (a miracle in KY in March!) and then another photoshoot resulted! Next up came coffee and a whole lot of conversation. I don’t often get to just hang out with my sister away from the distractions of everyday and this was a trip we both needed more than we imagined! As we poured our hearts out though, we didn’t do a great job at keeping track of time and when we went back to our car, we found a parking ticket. . . Sarah may say it was my fault because I’m used to small town coffee shops where they almost never give out parking tickets for a two hour spot. . . but they really keep track of it in Louisville and we found that out REAL QUICK! ha ha! Before heading out, I grabbed my first açaí bowl at a cute spot called Lueberry and we hit the road!

Our sister adventure and our memories will be treasured forever! I’m so thankful for a sister who’s willing to just go with the flow and spontaneously discover new spots! Louisville may not have been too far from home, but it was far enough to make us want to plan another trip! So until we can debut our next big adventure, have some fun reliving this one with me! And when you see the cute pictures of our coffee, just remember, a parking ticket was earned in the making of those! ha ha ha!

Our selfies before and during the concert! The level of excitement just got bigger!Been there. Done that. Bought the tshirt. And encountered THE CUTEST floors!We took way too many selfies in this mirror!This Bed and Bike Airbnb was ADORABLE! And perfect! Even if it did only have one window! Another mirror selfie . . . My cute sister!She’s a MaryKay Consultant so we grabbed some fun headshots and I dabbled in a bit of product photography! It was fun using the elements from around our room! That flatlay on the left was probs my favorite! I think I’d title it “on the go”? LOVE that black & white! This one may be out of focus. . . but it’s my favorite! I’ll just say that it looks like film! I’ll say it again, this room was gorgeous! I love the mix of industrial and bohemian! And another . . . OBSESSED WITH THAT RUG! The bikes we would have used if it wouldn’t have been thirty degrees! A rule I live by: find a bush, take photos! It’s as simple as that! Or eat it? Ya know, it works both ways! How I felt when Sarah tried to pose me! (just kidding, but not really!) We call this photo series, the evolution of bush photos.

1. lightly grab the branch

2. get cozy, stick your hip in 3. lean on in and do something with that other hand

4. crop in and act natural!
Or you could just swing your arms & laugh at how ridiculous you feel (and probably look!) Some more iPhone photos and a super cute coffee shop called Please and Thank You! Lueberry and my first Açaí bowl! Practicing portraiture on my phone! Love this one of her! The aesthetic was perfect, but the açaí was even better! 10/10 would recommend!