WE’RE GOING TO CANADA!

After almost nine months of planning, researching and looking forward to this trip, Canada is finally just around the corner… but it got us thinking:

Is looking forward to something sometimes better than actually doing it?

In this episode of The Offstage Life, Lauren & Kate talk about the strange excitement of anticipation — whether it’s planning a huge holiday, preparing for a gig, learning a difficult song, taking on a new challenge at work or chasing a goal you’ve wanted for years.

We’re road-tripping from Vancouver through the Canadian Rockies to Calgary and back, and Lauren has spent MONTHS planning it. So what happens when the thing you’ve been looking forward to for so long is suddenly… over?

We get into expectations vs reality, why we’re always looking for the “next thing”, anxiety and control, learning to actually enjoy the process, and whether being stretched outside your comfort zone is part of what makes life exciting.

Kate also shares what anticipation feels like from a musician’s perspective — from learning songs and rehearsing to the nerves before a live gig — and why sometimes the most satisfying part isn’t the performance at all.

Plus: ✈️ Lauren’s fear of flying, 🐻 our hopes of seeing Canadian wildlife, 🏔️ why we’ll choose mountains over cities every time, 🌴 the holiday that completely exceeded our expectations, and 🇺🇸 the Hawaii trip that… definitely didn’t go quite how we imagined.

And yes, we revisit THAT slightly terrifying Hawaii music-store story. 😂

So we want to know:

Would you rather have something incredible happen TOMORROW with no warning — or know it’s happening in six months and get six months of anticipation?

Tell us in the comments 👇

If you enjoyed the episode, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and join us for more of The Offstage Life — conversations about music, relationships, travel and everything that happens when you’re not on stage. 🎙️

#TheOffstageLife #CanadaTravel #CanadianRockies #TravelPodcast #MusicPodcast #Anticipation #ExpectationsVsReality #Vancouver #Banff #Calgary #RoadTrip #Podcast #CouplesPodcast

00:00 — Welcome back and announcing the Canada trip

00:43 — Is anticipation better than the actual event?

01:37 — What happens after the thing you’ve been looking forward to?

02:06 — Are we always chasing the next experience?

03:07 — Stimulation, dopamine and the search for excitement

04:01 — What we’re expecting from Canada

04:30 — Lauren’s long-standing connection to Canada

05:56 — Moving to Australia and changing expectations

06:44 — Rocky Mountains, nature and seeing a bear

09:35 — Would you rather have an amazing surprise tomorrow or wait six months?

10:32 — Why preparation can make big experiences easier

11:31 — Is the build-up to a gig better than the gig itself?

14:21 — Anxiety and learning to enjoy the process

17:36 — Applying the same idea to challenging construction work

18:57 — Why new challenges feel more exciting

22:41 — When expectations let you down: Hawaii

31:51 — Quick-fire questions about holidays, music and Canada

33:09 — The frightening search for a music store in Hawaii

35:00 — Culture shock, safety and travel privilege

36:52 — Closing thoughts and goodbye