Aug 18, 2020
Originally from New Jersey, Melissa Grisi was
living in San Francisco and working at Ameoba Records when she got
into listening to alt-country.
She
and her boyfriend - now husband, Ben - were digging the music and
history of Gram
Parsons. So, before moving back to the east coast
in 2002, the pair decided to make a pilgrimage to Joshua Tree - to
visit where Gram had partied with the Rolling Stones and would
ultimately die, at the Joshua Tree Inn.
In this
episode, Melissa describes what the area was like in 2002 -
an undiscovered, gritty haven with an eclectic mix of artists,
criminals, Marines and desert folk.
There
was a fifteen year journey between Melissa's first trip to this
desert in 2002 and making it home in 2015. During that time, there
were numerous trips back, including their honeymoon in Wonder
Valley. Purchases at the Sky Valley Swap Meet ended up in their
Rhode Island backyard, creating their own desert oasis on the east
coast and tiring their friends with their constant talk of Joshua
Tree.
The
idea of moving to the desert became a reality on one of those trips
when Melissa found a classified ad for a social worker at the local
hospital. Melissa eventually landed a therapist job aboard the
Twentynine Palms Marine Air Ground Combat Center and she and Ben
bought a home in Twentynine Palms over the internet, which Ben has
renovated to make their desert home, including a pottery studio for
Melissa.
Coming
from a family who values being of service, Melissa just opened her
own therapy practice in 29 Palms, Blue Sky Therapy, offering
private therapy appointments, trauma informed yoga as well as
training and consultation.
Check
out Melissa's pottery on Instagram:
Melissa's work is also available at Soul
Connection in Joshua Tree.