Lindsay Mannering: Soundtrack: One Quarter-Lifer's Journey From Grammys to Grammys

Last year I attended an exclusive Grammy viewing party in New York City with the man of my dreams, a one-time nominee himself. I wore a white t-shirt, dark jeans tucked into brown boots, an orange scarf, and my bursting heart on my sleeve. How did I get so lucky that at 24 I had a doting, brilliant musician/executive boyfriend, a good job with terrific bosses, great friends, healthy family, and curly brown hair that even Miley Cyrus would be jealous of? Man alive! Life was good. Cut to this year and I'm in my new East Village apartment wearing my college sweatshirt and red pajama pants watching the awards on TV. It kinda feels like I'm there because it's in HD (easy with the body glitter, Alicia Keys) but one quick look around at the empty beer cans on the kitchen table from the weekend, dust jackrabbits under the radiator, and that damn orange scarf hanging on my closet doorknob and I know I'm here, alone, and not anywhere else. He's not nominated this year and while I'm sure he's ... (link)