*I was oblivious to the pun when I said it in the episode!

Today’s episode marks the one-year anniversary of the podcast! I posted the very first episode in September, 2019, way back in the Before Times. I feel really proud of And The Next Thing You Know, and I’m so, so grateful for everyone who’s listening, and for all your support and love and retweets and telling your friends about the show, and for supporting us at Patreon, and for just being here with me in these extraordinary times. If you’re new to the podcast, welcome! If you’re an old friend of the show, thanks for sticking with us. 


































Today, I talk to Amelia Ray. Amelia is a musician based in Helsinki, and before that, San Francisco, and before that, Reykjavík, and before that, many many other ports of call. We talk about the circumstances that led her to become an avid traveler and eventually a performer aboard tropical cruise ships. 






















You never know when a three-hour tour could become a way of life…hashtag Gilligan’s Island, hashtag popculture references for old people. You’ll hear a few more of those in this episode. You’ll also get to hear Amelia sing her song “Constant Traveller,” recorded live during our conversation.
Amelia is the creator of the Quarantuned Music Festival, the variety show Up, Up, and A Ray, and the MashUpheaval podcast, an all-request show wherein she dunks your chocolate in her peanut butter to create a tasty new blend of musical delights. 

Find Amelia at
AmeliaRayDotNetCatch the Up, Up, and A Ray show at
upupandaray.comSubscribe to the MashUpheaval podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. 
 
Support Amelia on Patreon at 
patreon.com/ameliaray
 
Amelia’s got new singles in the hopper, so do drop by amelia ray dot net for updates!
 
Major themes
 
How we’re holding up during the COVID crisis, feelings about the Black Lives Matter uprising in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, travel to other countries, being a working musician, the process of creating music projects and uplifting others’ work, playing music on cruise ships, yacht rock, mental health, family and relationships.
 
References
 
Comic and podcaster Lauren Flans
https://twitter.com/LaurenFlans
 
Illustrator Patrick Strausshttps://www.instagram.com/pesdrawings/
 
Family Tradition by Hank Williams, Jr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd0TGfZSACI
 
Global Giving: Coronavirus Relief Fund
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/coronavirus-relief-fund/
 
*****