Oh, wow, where do I even begin?
When 'A Thousand Miles' and
Be Not Nobody were released, I was around ten. I remember buying
Be Not Nobody on tape and playing 'A Thousand Miles' and 'Ordinary Day' endlessly, but I was also really into Michelle Branch's
The Spirit Room at the time, as well. Actually, I think I liked Michelle a lot more than Vanessa that first year. Another factor was that I knew nothing about either Vanessa or Michelle, seeing as how I was fairly young when they first hit the scene and the extent of my 'fandom' was buying and listening to their music. At the time, I wasn't that well-acquainted with the Internet, or computers, for that matter, especially since I was a major bookworm growing up. I spent most of my time reading, and when I wasn't reading, I was listening to my tape player. Also, I don't know if this was just me, but I vaguely remember there being a point were V and Michelle Branch were compared with each other so much that I felt I had to make a decision and pick one of them (quite sad...but then again, I was eleven.) Surprisingly, I picked V. I don't even remember how or why, seeing as how I recall having big love for Michelle back then.
Anyway,
Be Not Nobody stayed with me throughout my pre-teen years. I tend to pair V's records with significant periods in my life, and I can't seem to attach
Be Not Nobody with a specific time or event in my life, probably because I was fairly young and had no epiphanies to reflect back upon, lol. It wasn't until
Harmonium was released that I sort of began my journey to NESSAholicism. I was around thirteen-going-on-fourteen and going through a deep and dark goth phase. I was at that insecure age where everything was a big deal and the world was out to get me - if that makes any sense - and the record fit that period of my life perfectly. By then I had upgraded to a Walkman, and
Harmonium was literally my lullaby every night. I remember always falling asleep just before 'Afterglow' ended. 'White Houses' was the track that kind of triggered my transformation from a regular fan to a NESSAholic. That song was my jam! I was obsessed. To this day, it is still my favorite song, not just of Vanessa's, but of all-time. The thing is, a year or two went by, and I didn't know when Vanessa was releasing any new music. I'd go to the record store and ask, but no one knew anything about it. I was in Dubai for Christmas in 2007 when I randomly walked into the local Virgin Megastore and found
Heroes & Thieves on the shelf. I immediately bought all the copies in stock (which were only around four or five) and listened to the record on repeat for the longest time when I got home. I gave my other four copies to some friends and soon enough, they were hooked on 'Heroes & Thieves' and 'Nolita Fairytale'! I was sort of 'coming into my own' at the time, and, yet again,
Heroes & Thieves was completely relatable.
Fast forward to summer 2009, when I saw a flyer for Vanessa's show in Glendale. I was online, searching for some information on the venue, when I stumbled upon NESSAholics.com. I looked around, signed up, and the rest is history. I briefly got to talk to Adriann and recognized many of the original NESSAholics at the show, like LetB and Holly. All in all, it was an amazing experience.
Rabbits On the Run comes on the eve of my 'adulthood', and by that, I mean my current college years - my 'rebirth', if you will, as I am an entirely different and more mature version of myself now, and I feel that it also symbolizes Vanessa's own rebirth as an artist, which means another record that I can associate with a specific period of my life. I can't wait!
In conclusion, I am beyond happy that I discovered this amazing forum and was given the chance to interact with all the wonderful people on here! I sincerely love you all and I am proud to be an official NESSAholic, even though I was a late bloomer! This forum keeps my love for Vanessa and her music going, especially during V's dry spells, and I am very grateful for that.
(Yes, I do talk a lot, which is the main reason why my posts on here are usually short and to the point. If I start, I can never shut up.)
