It's 1:23 a.m. on June 8, 2011, where I am now, which means it's 4:23 a.m. on Long Island, New York. Exactly six years ago, in a quiet parking lot, you may or may not have found me asleep inside the van in which I was living. I was a waiter - often working late and usually going out for a couple of beers after my shift. Some nights, I could catch a shower at the 24-hour gym near work. On others, I would settle for a wipe-down with wet napkins and brushing my teeth with a cup of water. The best places to sleep were the ones where I could back the van up to a wall and crack the back doors to catch a breeze. I would usually break out my guitar and expand on song concepts that I had begun to formulate that summer. Life was pulling me... read more