So funny story...
In the fall, I saw that Pat Barrett was launching a short tour in the U.S. and one of the ticket options included a one hour session with him discussing songwriting, etc. This is the worship leader that wrote Build My Life, This Love and many others, so I was very interested in making it to one of his worship nights. The closest city was Moon, PA. Living in South Jersey, I thought, "Well, no matter where that town is in Pennsylvania, it can't be that far."
This is where the story is "funny." Moon, PA is pretty much IN Pittsburgh, which is a solid 5.5+ hour drive. Luckily, I have a friend that loves road trips and worship nights as much as I do, so off to Pittsburgh we went...
Travel stuff...
Where'd we stay? Fairfield Inn & Suites in Pittsburgh, PA.
Where'd we eat? Just being real...the food scene is Pittsburgh is devastating. We ate lunch at a local place (Tsarro's) and then had a late dinner and breakfast the next morning at a Cracker Barrel.
Coffee, coffee, coffee... Zeke's Coffee, and it did not disappoint.
Tourist stops? There was no way we were getting out this town without seeing my team's stadium! We stopped at Heinz Field, the Rally House and then checked out the West End Outlook, which was pretty beautiful.
A few of my favorite shots that sum up the time away...
While I will likely not be back to Pittsburgh without a specific reason, it was well worth every last mile we drove. What I ultimately walked away with from this getaway (or 6 hour drive to a concert LOL) was that Pat Barrett was as real as you could possibly hope he would be.
In the Q & A session someone asked, "How do you maintain authenticity in your songwriting?" Pat Barrett's answer was simply, "I bring my real, honest self to the truth of Scripture."
His heart is sold out for the Lord and genuinely represented in his music. As a worship leader, my heart absorbed a lot from listening to him speak and watching him lead.
So, Pat Barrett, thank you for following God's lead in your life! It blesses me greatly.
Pittsburgh, I'll only see you again to watch my team win in their own stadium next season ;) Also, you could use a few more good, local coffee shops.
~ Alyssa