Beginning the Journey..

(Recalling the events taking place at this time:)
JANUARY 2, 2011 

Is it worth sleeping? 12:59am soon becomes 1:00am on the nearby desk clock and I'm staring at my suitcase and duffel bag, recounting everything I've packed for the fourth time today. Looking down at the itinerary, I stare at the locations awaiting my arrival: Pittsburgh --> New York, New York --> London. It's surreal. In less than a day, I'll be halfway around the world. But for right now, I continue to ask myself if it's worth going to sleep. I'll be leaving (I hesitate to think 'waking', just in case..) for the airport in T-minus two hours. Two long hours. But long enough to grab some shut-eye? Probably not anything worth writing home about...

Hmm home. It's strange to think, as I look around the room and an assortment of casually-assembled knick-knacks and memories peer back at me, that I won't be seeing this place for several months. But I'm not very apologetic towards my things. I think the tattered books on the shelves, broken hockey sticks in the corner, unneeded clothes in the closet, dark television, and lonely bed will understand that I'll be temporarily replacing their comforts with those of jolly ol' London. Whatever that entails!

Well, as one might have guessed, all of this self-reflection leads to basically one thing - less sleep. I check everything yet another time, pull another unneeded article of clothing from my bag ('please be under 50lbs..'), and force myself to lay down and shut my eyes. And though my veins course with excitement, and my thoughts whirl like eddies on the stream of consciousness, I do, in fact, get that hour of sleep.

"STRUM-DA-LUM-DA-STRUM-A-LUM-DA-LUM-DA-STRUM-A-LUM. TWO!! ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!!!"

The intro bit of Neutral Milk Hotel's 'Holland, 1945' jolts me awake an hour later. Was it worth it? Who cares, I'm technically already on my way to Europe. Plus, it's not like I'm tired; I wasn't an hour ago, I'm not now. Just.. ready. Well, as ready as I'm going to be.

Shower. Check.
Clothes. Check.
Everything else. Check. Pretty much just a blur at this point.
Guitar in the case, bags in the car. We're off.

Goodbye parentals! It's been fun, thanks for the money and the Christmas presents. Love you guys, and all that jazz. London London London London ahhhh

Check my bags and kiss my guitar goodbye - hope I see them on the other side; security, the long trek to the gate, annnnnnnnnnd the waiting game.


Good music I was listening to at the time:
Johnny Flynn - "The Wrote & the Writ", off his album "A Larum"
One of my favorite unheard-of British indie/folk writers. Do it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry, no pics in this post.. Pretty much just a reflection piece. I'll be putting up some pics in the next couple. I've got about 300 to put up already, so keep checking. This will mostly be a photo-blog, with some captions, but I may post some thoughts and reflections and stuff. Nothing too lame, but I do enjoy writing, so we'll see. Hope you like it, wish you could be here having an amazing time with me.
Cheers!