Tuesday, July 15, 2003 :::

I have no idea how to start this post.


Now that it's started...

I guess I'll just jump right in with something random,

since SO MUCH has happened since the last post,

and my plethora of memories is jumbled and stale.

At this point, anything/everything seems random.

Nonetheless, a futile attempt to recap/resume

is better than no attempt at all

...right?


The European Experience, as I'm calling it, was absolutely _____________. If you've not been overseas within the last few years of your life, there's very little chance that you'll be able fathom the psychological/emotional atmosphere that characterized my summer, even if I describe every little thing that happened. More and more, I find myself having a hard time remembering the feeling of it all - as time passes, the whole thing feels more like a dream than anything else. TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLDS. It is as if my mind can't handle them both as reality at the same time, so while here, the European memories take on a dreamlike facade, making it easier to live in the US. Yes, this all sounds intensely exaggerated, but read the second 'actual' sentence of this post again, and maybe you'll find justification for my thoughts. If not, just talk to Drew. That kid is having an incredibly difficult time with letting go of Rome, so much so that I feel like he is exaggerating. But he's not. In retrospect, the trip seems...like a drug-enduced trip. Something fantastical...a vivid subconscious experience that left an actualistic (if that's not a word, it should be) impression.

FIVE FOREIGN COUNTRIES, all experienced in the span of 7.5 weeks, when all I'd ever known was the cultureless (in comparison) U S of A. I'm kicking myself so hard for not keeping up with my journal over there, because it is truly impossible to recapture the moments after-the-fact. In Rome, we visited so many churches that nearly all of them blend together now to form one huge Superchurch. Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (Saint Mary over Minerva (the Roman goddess of war)) stands out, and it should, seeing as I wrote two four-page papers about it and experienced my first actual confession under its roof. What a strange, refreshing experience...I felt so much lighter afterwards...sin-free, apparently. I didn't know the formalities of the process, so the priest guided me through a sort of makeshift confession, which primarily consisted of him asking if I had committed certain sins and me answering yes or no. Occasionally, more prominent sins came to mind, and I confessed them on my own. The priest was very...comforting, yet strong at the same time. He suggested modifications to my prayer life...that I start reading the Bible...and assigned to me five "Our Father's," five "Hail Mary's," and five "Glory Be's." Well, according to traditional Catholicism, I've acquired quite a few more sins since that cleansing, although I, personally, am fine with most of them. I need to dedicate more thought to how I feel about Catholicism, about whether or not I am willing to wholly dedicate myself to its regulations and practices. Currently, I'm extremely far from that state of being, though I feel closer to it than most of my friends...but does that mean anything at all, really? Everyone that I associate myself with is good at heart - is that not enough? The debate seems neverending, and is not the focus of this entry. Saint Peter's and the Vatican were incredible, but the church was far too touristy and museum-esque for me to feel the peace that I desire from a holy place. The view from the cupola above St. Peter's was breathtaking, as were several views throughout Rome that allowed us to see the entire city in one take. Okay, I could write an entire blog detailing my experiences in Rome, and I'm no so concerned with specific events as I am with specific emotional and psychological enlightenments. Moving on...

Through visiting France, Rome, and Germany, I realized the origins of my name. "Alan" comes from the French name "Alain," which Melody has called me for years. Interestingly, the name revealed itself to me not in France, but on a building in Rome and through a woman in Switzerland, who recognized that my first name was French while my last name was German. I have no French ancestors, but my father's father was as German as they come (without being Nazi, mind you). I actually saw the word "brotz" within another word on a banner hanging across a beer stand. How awesome is that. My middle name comes from my mother's father, and I'm fairly certain that "John" is of American origin. SO. French American German. Where does the Italian fit in!?! Not in my name, apparently. Che schiffo.

Switzerland was probably the "nicest" place that we visited. Infinite natural beauty, cleanliness, an abundance of free-flowing water, cool kids/people, and little cause for claustrophobia (unlike Rome). We happened to arrive there the day before Luzern's biggest party of the year, dubbed "Alt Schtadt," meaning Old City - and what a party it was. 6 AM to 4 AM. The whole city came out for this thing. Beer and food everywhere. Tons of (surprisingly good) cover bands. We all had a blast... - if Luzern wasn't my favorite place in Europe, London was.

London seemed to be comprised of bits and pieces of the other four countries that I visited: the modernity of Munich; the culture of Rome; the natural beauty of Paris; the cleanliness of Switzerland. Of course, London was more similar to the US than any other place I visited In Europe, which worked well to ready me for the transition I would soon face upon returning home. London's subway system, the Underground, is the easiest, most efficient method of mass transportation that I have ever come across. Paris would be 100 times more enjoyable if its Metro system was replaced by the Underground. Big Ben was awesome, the Crown Jewels inside of the London Tower were stunning, and the cool weather offered a glorious break from the heat. On our last night there, Brandy and I saw STOMP, which brutally kicked our asses. Total Hotness.

Rome definitely served up the best food. All of the prearranged meals were superb (except for one fluke) and we found some awesome spots on our own. Some places served excellent pizza, while others served rather mediocre/unappetizing 'za. Even the chain restaurants (Burger King, McDonalds, etc) were better in Rome. Dare I say that McDonalds was actually decent? Scary, eh? The Pizza Huts in Europe were especially interesting, offering actual meals, enticing deserts, and even mixed drinks.

On the "drinks" tip: I had a few. Okay, several. Okay fine, I want one right now. The wine in Italy puts all wine in the states to shame, but I think I enjoyed the wine in Paris the most - the only pink wine that I had during the entire trip. I can say that I only got drunk once, but I buzzed quite well on many occasions. No vomitting, unlike my good friend Drew, heheh...that's my crazy roommate. I can also say that I've developed something of a taste for beer, particularly Lowenbrau. For those of you into trying new things, Limoncello is an excellent after-dinner liquor - just remember to sip. It's pretty strong stuff.

Some pretty awesome friends were made while traveling, and I hope that we all keep in touch. Group 312 rocks my socks off, but the Sixers are second to no one! Thanks for all the memories, you guys...can't wait until the reunion...

There's so much more to say about the trip, but that will ALWAYS be the case, so I'm going to leave Europe for now and switch over to Absent.

ABSENT IS PLAYING WARPED TOUR! My God, I can't wait to tear up that stage. I expect every single person reading this to be there. July 24th, all day. Not sure what time we'll be playing, but I'll post it as soon as I know, along with the name of the stage that we'll be playing on. We'll be sharing the day with a kickass lineup that includes The Used, Glassjaw, The Starting Line, The All-American Rejects, and several other amazing bands. The day is definitely worth the price, so if there's any way at all that you can come, PLEASE COME!
Additionally, there is a strong possibility that Absent will be playing the Lake Mary Pub this coming Thursday. Again, more info will be posted as I get it. If you haven't already, check out the new www.absent1.com (there are TWO links to the site on this page) and sign the guestbook. Reading your insightful/nonsensical/whateveral comments always brings a smile to my face and a song in my pants.

I'll be working every weekday from 8 to 5, but I'm available during lunch (12-ish) and never have plans for the evenings. Sorry if I have yet to return any phonecalls...it's been madness with work and Absent. Hope to hang with everyone soon...

ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Kenna: New Sacred Cow
After years of postponements, it's finally in stores. BUY IT.

Ciao per adesso...Ti amo...

::: posted by AJBrotz at 12:12 PM

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