#They also had Beatles beer glasses but I wasn’t sure how to travel back with them safely

[girlinthebrightbluejeans]

I’m in Hawaii right now for work and got the funniest hawaiian shirt

[seromreven]

title: confessions.

anonymous requested: “OT4 Beatles: The boys all love each other and all equally feel the same way about each other, but they’re all just sexually confused? Like basically they all come out and admit their feelings and I really hope I’m making sense :,) Anyway, bonus if it’s gotta sweet end :3 Ty”

author’s note: love me some ot4. also,,, oooh what’s my bonus? ;)

---

1964,

The boys had stayed up late. Which in itself wasn’t unusual; whether or not they had gigs or work, they stayed up late. What was unusual was that what had kept them up weren’t the usual partying, drinking, and women. They had gone to a private screening of A Fistful of Dollars, a movie Ringo in particular had been excited for, (the drummer seemed to have acquired a soft spot for westerns after a visit to Dallas when they were on tour in Texas earlier that year). And while he and John talked energetically at length about the movie and the leading lady Marianne Koch afterwards; Paul’s mind couldn’t help but wander to the rugged handsomeness of Clint Eastwood, something that had taken him by surprise and slowly made him spiral downwards in a rampage of thoughts about how he thought of men and their appearance. For he realised; this wasn't the first time he had found a man… attractive. He even realised, as he sat in anxious silence in the hotel room, listening to the surrounding boys; that he even found them attractive. That fact got more and more obvious to him as the night drew on. He loved them. Not platonically, not like brothers. He wanted more.

He felt a nudge on his shoulder and snapped out of the hole he had slowly been digging himself into. It was George, with a curious look in his eyes, one tinged with worry too. He needn’t ask if he was alright; Paul recognized the look well enough, “I’m alright,” he nodded slightly, “just thinking.”

“Ooh, don’t hurt yerself doing that then,” John said with a laugh as he reentered the room from having gone out onto the balcony at some point. Paul hadn’t noticed. Ringo followed close behind him soon after, shutting the glass slide door as he entered. Paul gave an obvious fake laugh in response, one John was quick to mimic. “What were you thinking about?” Ringo asked; eyes as curious as George’s had been, his head slightly askew as he asked. Paul wanted to lie. Say ‘oh, nothing’ and move on but he found himself strangely tongue-tied as he tried (and failed) to deny anything had been going on in his mind. It was too obvious, and he longed to air out his pining thoughts.

“Y’know… Brian, he-” Paul could have gone had it not been for a sudden interruption by John.

“Never heard of the man,” which he followed with a snicker and a light shove from Ringo. Paul struggled not to roll his eyes at the man and continued. “Y’know how Brian… likes lads like… like on would girls?” He watched them nod in attentive silence before he continued, “what if… if I-... uh, one of us… felt the same way he did?”

There was painful, prolonged, silence before John, with the attempt of a stern face that was only spoiled by the twinkle in his eyes, piped up with “you mad for Brian, eh?” 

“N-No! It’s not that-”

“Can’t blame ya. He’s a strapping young lad,” John continued and he surely would have gone on with more of the same teasing hadn’t it been for George’s hand landing across his mouth with the small sound on skin on skin contact. The youngest Beatle nodded for him to go on while ignoring John’s muffled protests. 

“Well… I don’t know. It wouldn’t be… too bad if, y’know, one of us were… like that too?”

Paul looked nervously around the group of friends. George looked in thought and equally so did Ringo while John ceased his flailing around to look deeply into Paul’s eyes, his brown eyes narrowed as he (as always) lacked his glasses. But there was something else in his eyes, something more. Not judgement or disgust as Paul feared but, perhaps if he dared to hope, understanding. “What if…” he finally heard Ringo speak,  “... one of us already are?”

Paul’s breath hitched; did Ringo mean himself or did he know about Paul? He shook his head. Ringo couldn’t possibly know, for he had only just realised it himself! 

“You…?” Paul asked carefully, not wanting to scare the topic away. Ringo nodded, visibly shaken and unsure about the rest of the band’s reactions. They were all silent and in thought. So Paul wasn’t alone. He wanted to admit to it and assure Ringo of it too but there was a blockade, a hurdle of nerves, in his throat that stopped him from doing so. George wiped his hands on the leg of his trousers (John huffed as he did so) and nodded; “... you’re not alone in that.”

Paul blinked and fought his urge at gaping at the young man. George too? His eyes travelled to John, eager to know if the pattern would continue to him. The singer noticed the hazel eyes staring at him and shrugged with the swig of a beer; “yeah, same, whatever,” he muttered around the lip of the beer as he stared at something unknown in the distance. Paul frowned. It had an odd lack of emotion, coming from John. He slid down from his seat on the bed and carefully placed himself near and across from John. His eyes looked misty and Paul dared himself to grab a hold of John’s free hand as he finally admitted out loud and into the room; “me too.”

“And it’s… it’s not just that. I love you… All of you, so much. And I can’t go on anymore in denial.”

All around him were proclamations of mutual love and wonder. Well, all but from John who still stared, misty-eyes, at nothing over Paul’s shoulder. He bit his lip and nodded, suddenly pulling Paul into a hug. He felt tears land softly on his back as John continued nodding slightly. They weren’t alone for long before the last half of their whole joined them; placing their arms around the two in a tight, warm embrace.

[raqueltravels-blog]

Travel Writing - Blog 2

Prague.

Prague. Prague. Prague.

A city that I’m sure many would consider… underrated.

Located in the Czech Republic— where the Euro does not work— you may regard Prague as a step down from London, Rome, Paris, etc.

Prague gets the short end of the stick.

However, my plan is to tell you how Prague is just as strong a candidate, if not better than many of those other cities.

Despite my plan, I will make note that the journey to Prague wasn’t the easiest, although I know some have had it worse. It all started in Munich when our six-hour train to Prague was at first delayed an hour, but then went out to be fully cancelled. So, there we were, a hundred plus study abroad students scrambling to reach Prague somehow. With the group of friends I was traveling with, we took a chance in going to Regensburg, Germany, where a nice man at the information desk provided us with free vouchers for a hostel in Furth Im Wald, Germany. Utilizing our Eurail Passes allowed us to not have to worry about having to purchase new tickets, we just altered our travel logs and went on the trains we needed to get to Furth Im Wald.

Furth Im Wald at ten o’clock at night is practically a ghost town. Our hotel voucher valid for the Hotel Hohenbogen, we simply walked across the street towards our safe haven for the night. The hotel kitchen shutting down at ten, and nowhere else in the area serving food, we took up any and all leftover snacks from the train ride to be our meal for the night. We were just grateful to have wifi again. Dodgey wifi, but wifi nonetheless. As a group, we came with the assumption that Furth Im Wald probably lacked any English speaker. And so it was. At the check-in desk, we played a lovely game of charades. The hotel itself was very clean. The complimentary breakfast served the next day was so delicious. So many options and nothing fell short delicious. I wish I had gifted myself more time to enjoy it.

On the train and just three hours away from Prague, two Czech boys took a seat in our cabin and eventually one of them drew up the courage to ask where we were from. The conversation that followed ranged from places we’ve visited, to sports, and then just learning simple phrases in Czech, most of which we had forgotten once we got off the train. We had forgotten all the words except for one – ahoy. “Ahoy?” we asked. “Yes, ahoy,” he said, “Like a pirate, which is funny because we don’t have a sea.”

Being the smart, world traveler that she is, my friend Evelyn had arrived on time at the Airbnb that I booked, the night before. As my friend, she could also sense that I was tired and needed a minute to be away from the group... thus, passing me a bottle of wine. Specifically, Hardy’s Mill Cellars, Shiraz 2016 wine. Together, we each had three glasses and made our way across the street to a Mexican restaurant, El Casa Blu, whose food and wifi connection worked in complement. Compared to the Cammerlander Mexican restaurant in Innsbruck, El Casa Blu gave me hope again for Mexican food in Europe. The margarita was perfectly blended and had the proper amount of tequila – blessed. For the entirety of a margarita, chips and salsa, a burrito, and cheesecake, the total came out to be eleven U.S. dollars. How? I’m not sure, but I wasn’t going to object to the price.

Reconvening with the others, we began our stroll through the city. Close to the Orange Bar was a food stand serving trdelniks. A trdelnik is sweetened dough wrapped around a stick, creating a cone-like shape to be filled with either whip cream or ice cream. Everyone in the group had purchased one except me. I know, I know, how dare I not try something new? The fact of the matter is one. I wasn’t in the mood for sugar. Two, I wanted a coffee to balance out my energy levels (to match everyone else based on my current alcohol intake) and three. I didn’t want to mess up my red lipstick!

At the Old Town Square, we saw the Jan Hus Monument at the center of the square, the heights of the Church of Our Lady and the St. Nicholas’ Church in full across the square. The Square was filled with life, including many street performers. Passing the St. Nicholas’ Church, the street leading towards the river was lined with boutiques of all type— think Prada, Gucci, Burberry, etc. Each boutique with its own security guard at the door, looking people up and down as they enter, determining whether they are potential customers or mere fans.

If you are crunched for time, choose one side of the river for each day. For the first day, we stuck to the side our Airbnb was located (Bilkova 21 to be exact). Along the river, padlocks of promises were chained to the fence wall. Along the bridge, were arrayed statues of religious figures and ornate lamp posts. Artists and street performers positioned themselves along the walls forcing tourists to walk around them, unable to avoid taking a look at their work. We even came across a jazz band performing “When the Saints Go Marching In.”.

Feeling parched, we made our way over to find a place to drink. A place with wifi. Food Story. Food Story was where it’s at. It was a deli grocery store with a bar in the basement. Collectively, we ordered drinks, everyone trying new beers except me. I’m not boring, I swear. I just don’t like beer. A friend of mine who studied abroad in Prague last summer messaged me saying “YOU NEED TO GO TO PASTA FRESCA!”

Standing outside Pasta Fresca, we discovered that the place was so popular that you need a reservation. Walking away from the tourist areas, we sat ourselves at a restaurant across the street from the Astoria Hotel called Pot-au-feu. Many enjoyed plates of goulash and different types of wine. Our servers were very understanding in that we needed a separate check. FYI: The wifi at this location is iffy if you’re sitting outside, but fast if anywhere inside the restaurant.

Following the meal, we each went back to our separate Airbnbs to get ready for a night out. Past the Old Town Square, the streets became more narrow and apparent strictly for pedestrians. Half of our group went to this one nightclub called One Club that was entirely underground. *flips hair* Ladies get in for free! The club was somewhat like a maze. You have all these rooms dedicated for lounging and mingling, then before you know it, you’re before a few adult entertainers, and then all eyes are on you when you’re in the center of a dance floor. The dance floor room reminded us of a skating rink in the way that there were mirrors for walls and bright lights shining straight down on your head, casting a shadow to your face. It was past midnight and people were still coming in to the club. With too many people crowded in, the appeal of the place faded out and we decided to leave around 1:30 am. Everyone made it back to their place safely and we went to sleep right away in preparation for Saturday – the other side of the Vltava.

Saturday.

We started the day off with breakfast at Mansson’s Bakery. A delicious latte with an almond croissant and strong Wifi connectivity to speak to our loved ones felt just right for the situation. Crossing the Charles Bridge, the day had started off fairly chilly for a day in July. Approximately 55 degrees Fahrenheit and overcast, I wore both the sweaters I brought at the same time!

As we’re inching closer to the historic area, I had yet to convert my Euros to Czech currency. However, it had dawned on me the unlikelihood of a tourist office accepting my card so I made the exchange. As of July 2017, the exchange rate for one U.S. dollar to Czech is 22. Compared to that, one euro is 26 Czech. Putting in 50 euros, I received 1,306.45 Czech. It’s super easy to make yourself feel slightly rich while in Prague.

Approximately, an hour away from the bridge is an elongated twelve flights of stairs waiting and after the climb you can witness the entirety of the city, as well as the Archbishop’s Palace. Without student discount, payment to view the inner walls of the historic city can cost 150 Czech, but with student discount it’s 120. We purchased the Cathedral package which included access to the St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, and St. George’s Basilica. The Gothic architecture of this landmarks are apparent through the windows, gargoyles, and overall design.

An almond croissant did not suffice as food for the day’s activities, which is why I was ecstatic to come across a fruit stand at the bottom of the hill. A large cup of raspberries kept me going until lunch. Before lunch though was a very vital task in our stay during Prague – the John Lennon Wall.

The John Lennon Wall, established in the 1980s has mages of Lennon and his lyrics across the entire stretch. Many take pride in leaving their mark on this wall. As magnificent as historic cathedrals from centuries past can be and how they were constructed with nowhere near the technology we have today, there is also something to be said about the Lennon Wall. In a sense it is a living wall, eminently relatable—near generations from grandparents to someone in my generation have listened and been inspired by the music of the Beatles, and the wall in this sense connects each of us.

To close out the second day in Prague, Ristorante was a charming location that we enjoyed a late lunch at. They served authentic Czech cuisine with the perfect atmosphere to match. I would definitely recommend it if you’re wanting to not spend as much money like you would at the John Lennon Pub across the street.

Exhausted from the journey, we walked to each other’s airbnbs, and along the way, for one last time we saw the entirety of the city. It is indeed, splendid.  Yes, I was tired, but I knew immediately that I wanted to come back to visit the city again. Probably with a significant other. To not feel so rushed. That’s the thing, Prague can be handled in a weekend. It can. But it needs time, a lot more time. Till then.

[jrtuliao]

Day 3: The night I fell in love with New Orleans

After 2 days of consistent nights of hanging out with friends. For the first time in my life I found myself alone, not lonely, but by myself. My friend Kaitlyn was tired from work and had to help her boyfriend pack for his move to a new apartment. My Godbrother Antonio was at work till late so we couldn’t meet up until past 9 pm. I found myself at a crossroads at my friends house on what to do. Her room mate Trey (a really cool dude through and through) suggested that I go to Frenchmen street by the French quarter just a little ways off from the main Canal area. He described the area that it was rich with Jazz and blues, food and a great time. Sadly he couldn’t join me on this adventure for he had work ( he’s an Uber driver). So I said fuck it, why not, little did I know that my personal introverted self felt a little uneasy being alone in a place I had no idea what to do, where to go, and no one to mentally cling onto as a crutch in an unknown place. Little did I know about the fearlessness inside of myself. So Trey and I get into his car and as he’s driving me, he’s describing the area of how awesome it is. Also how many bars were there, cool shops and interesting people. Meanwhile inside, I felt a slight scream within me, with questions about who will I be in this situation, who will I become after?  Will I change? or stay the same? Will I make a friend? I never thought or said these words, but I know I felt them right in my gut. Right at the core of my shy self back in high school.

The moment Trey dropped me off in front of Dat Dog (this cool hotdog spot). I instantly felt out of place. I constantly looked at my phone, pretending to know where to go. I walked into this cool knick knack shop, that had all sorts of books, postcards and random magazines (Oh! there was also a ton of gay porn and paraphernalia). I also wandered into this kickass record shop called Music Factory. It had a ton of original print records. Some Simon & Garfunkel, Rolling stones, Count Basie, John Coltrane, Led Zeppelin, Etta James, Aretha Franklin,etc.  I was interested in getting a couple of records, but decided not to. I didn’t feel a necessity. A necessity to anything honestly. Like, what’s the point if I didn’t share any of these special moments with someone. That was until I met Michela.

Now, fast forward a few, let’s say 15 minutes of awkward wandering, listening to the amazing street performers, I noticed this woman, just walking outside of this bar. She kind of slumped to the side and started crying. I noticed it right away. I wanted to talk to her, not because she was beautiful, not because I felt alone, not because I felt like I needed a companion. I wanted to make her smile. No, I wanted to earn her smile. 

I initially decided not to linger and stare from afar, but due to my initial hesitance and cowardice, I left her to cry and wandered more. (Btw Frenchmen street is like 2-3 fucking blocks, so I did laps left and right). When I came back around the street on the other side, she was sitting by the side of Dat Dog where I had started my lone adventure. She was smoking a cig and still a little teary eyed. I stood there on the corner of the block for contemplating if I should talk to her. I didn’t want to seem like a creep to be standing for an uncomfortable long time, but I didn’t want to leave. I made a decision and whispered to myself, “No regrets, be better”. I shoved my phone into my pocket and walked over.

I said hello and asked if it was okay for my to sit next to her. She thought I was asking for a smoke, so I had to clarify again, but a little less confident, but more warm She said it was okay and so I took out my own cig (Malboro Golds), lit it and sat down. There was a cool silence between us (no more than 10 seconds). So I started talking to her. I introduced myself with a handshake, “My name is Jed” She shook back and said “Michela”. I learned that she is Italian and came to visit, sadly this was her last day. I had also learned, that she came here to the U.S. to speak English. (She knew english, took classes in Italy, but wanted to get better at speaking it). So I started asking her about herself, and why she chose to travel to America. Turns out she was visiting multiple parts of the U.S. She started in California, then here in New Orleans, from there to Texas for family and then finally New York. And then I asked, “Why do I see sadness in your eyes, when there is love everywhere” She brushed off the question, with a “don’t worry about it, it’s nothing, really” She said she was more said, that she had finally found a place that she absolutely loved on her final day. And then... something amazing happened.

A silenced settled in, as we both started to smoke a second cig. These two women were playing guitars and singing across the street on the corner started singing 4 Non Blondes’ “ What’s up”. I started singing subtlety and slowly she started singing along with me too. And before we knew it, there were to people singing in unison, harmonizing together, singing, “Heeyyeaahhyeaahyeaaha, HEYYYYYEAAAHHYEAAAH, I said HEY! WHAT’S GOING ON!”. It felt like peace.  When the song stopped, we finished our cigs and she said, “Hey would, you like to accompany me to this shop here? I want to get a post card”. I said, “of course”. It was the shop I had first visited, with all the knick knacks and Gay Paraphernalia. We both had been inside that shop prior to. As we browsed, I continued to inquire about her with questions about her major (she is a bio major, planning to go into, economic studies on pollution for masters). As we walked in between the cramped aisles of books, dust and random thrift, I found a cool guitar. I asked if she knew any instruments, she knew how to play piano. I was very intrigued. And then I asked the big question, about the universal language we all feel at some point in our lives. I asked about what kind of music did she like, love. She spoke about rock n roll, jazz and the blues. Her favorite band is The Beatles and through them and of course many other greats, she fell in love with the blues. I spoke about the record shop up the street. And she had been there prior as well and wanted to go back before it closed. She ended up not getting the postcard from that shop. We then rushed up to Music Factory around 7 (the store closes at 8). And we browsed the records together.

I asked if she was eyeing any records in particular as we continued to talk about, Jimmy Hendrix, Neil Young, Etta James, Eric Clapton, Arethra Franklin and many more. She told me, she wanted this Album by Neil Young, “On The Beach”. I told her to get it, she felt guilty spending money. She ended up getting 3 albums (with my push for her to do so!) On the Beach, an album by the Beatles, or the Beach Boys, and the third one I can’t really remember. I ended up picking up some records also to my surprise. Elton John’s “Don’t shoot me” and Mott the Hoople “All the Young Dudes”. She also bought 2 pins from the shop, I ended up buying one. (I found out later she had bought the extra one for me). We left a few minutes past closing and decided to go find someplace to eat. We wandered for a few minutes, took pictures of graffiti and random wall art as we walked and decided on this cool bar restaurant that had an upstairs to it. Live music was playing on the main floor, while people ate upstairs. We were seated a little closer towards the window and some wall furniture with a mirror on top of the shelf( it was nice).We had the most energetic waitress who was really sweet. We spent a good while deciding on what to eat, because we were busy talking about what was on the menu. I was helping her understand some words and how to speak some phrases. At one point we had to literally google shrimp and veal to see what it looks like. (because she wasn’t sure on what that was) (Oh! also she knew was shrimp was but in Italian). We had a fun time googling most of the things on the menu and finally decided on a shrimp salad and Veal Pasta with a nice glass of Pinot Grigorio ( white wine) to accompany our meals. It was a grand time.

We spent roughly more than an hour there, probably maybe even two. And every minute we laughed, talked, asked questions about each other, shared music with each other. I had never heard of the band Morphine and she had never heard of Fleetwood Mac.We talked about movies, she had suggested this movie by Woody Allen, called Zelig (we both weren’t sure of the spelling). I had suggested Madment and Baby Drive. Every time we’d share something cool, we took out our little notepads and moleskins and had each other write in the other’s book the suggestion, phrase, song, move random fact, or book. We talked about books a lot. I had mentioned, Ready Player One and then Brave New World and 1984. The moment I mentioned Huxley, she began to share these awesome facts about his family. How his grandfather was a primary support of Darwin and his Evolution thesis, and I think his brother, or uncle started the World WIldlife Foundation. She had such a glow in her eyes, when she would share all these facts with me. I loved her company, and she loved mine. By the time finished our food, it go cold. We laughed about how much we spent talking and less eating. Once we finished up, I had payed for our dinner, she felt bad and offered to buy me a beer. I took her up on that offer. And thus began a night of smiles and warmth (btw it’s still hot as fuck).

When we left the restaurant, we went looking for a bar to get a drink. Stumbled into one which had this kickass live band called InBusiness. They played a mean funk, hard, fast and belching. They had so much energy. As we drank and stood within the crowd watching, I started dancing a little bit (i never dance, and I felt like I danced awkwardly haha). Small head bobs, and knee bouncing, just feeling the music. And she did too, she started swaying with me and smiling. Oh how awesome it was. We left to find another bar, and then Etta James came ringing us in.

We stood outside at the door first as we watched this band sing Etta’s,” I rather be blind” and just like a moth to a flame we were entranced by their music. I saw she started tearing up. So I started singing along with them, and so did she and the tears went away again as we felt the blues together. And then when it was over, man... they were on fire, the band started playing some awesome tunes and then she turned to me and asked, “ Want to dance?” I stupidly said, “ I don’t dance very well”. She replied with a “Me too”( This was a lie, she was amazing). And then we just went in there and really started feeling the music. 

We slowly swayed with it, then bopped to it and shook to it. And the next thing I knew, we had put our stuff down at a table and really started dancing! The two lead singers was a bald headed powerful black women with a swagger I never knew and a Big bold black woman with a voice that just hit your soul with some funk. The bald headed woman, turned to the crowd and scream “ Y’ALL WANT SOME FUNK?!” she turned to her band and said “NOW PLAY ME SOME FUCKASS BEAT!”. And boom a electrifying energy washed over us as Michela and I continued to vibe off of each other immensely. They played  this dope ass funk version of “Lean on Me” which really got us both jiving. She said it got a little hot, so she wanted to change. I was by myself really feeling the music for a short bit and when she returned, I was stunned. She had this beautiful dress on, I didn’t know what to say ( My dumbass finally complimented her a little later). We danced a little more and then left. We walked and talked and made friends with these 3 cool cat poets on the street, who did poetry for any donation, as per their words, “ It can be from nothing to a million dollars, it’s entirely up to you!”. I had one written about Freedom (I’ll share that later) and she had a poem about change. Both were really Ginsberg -esque and they were awesome. We stopped by this street vendor who sold jewelry. It was funny because the main dude kept trying to hit on her, while trying to get me to buy her some stuff. I didn’t care, I had the honor to see her smile. I joked with the guy as we haggled and watched this man with a tuba play with this other guy across the street with a trumpet. They were really popping! The guy made all of his stuff with his friend by hand, and was nice enough to give her these two beautiful earrings they made, while she bought a wrist band from them. We continued on into the night talking, dancing, smiling. Enjoying each other. Walked into this one live performance where this Filipino dude was killing it on the mic with his dope voice, while her and I danced more. Every time she turned and smiled at me, I felt warm. I became braver with myself as I continued to dance with her, not caring for all the guys trying to do so as well. I grabbed her hand and twirled her around as I made steps I never took before (dancing and in life, double meaning and all that shit haha). When we left the place, she had told that I was a very good dancer. That was the first time I was ever told that. 

We went into another bar to cool off, and watch a smooth jazz band play. bought a couple of drinks for us and we just talked about our adventures here in New Orleans. We shared pictures from the sculpture garden, funny pictures of graffiti and talked about other stuff we did during our time. She felt sad that she only had 4 days to be there. She was even sadder that, when she’d be in New York, I would still be here in NOLA. ( from the 21st to 30th I think, she’d be in NY, I was here till the 30th). Oh man did I wish I would be in New York when she’d touch down, just to see her again.

When it was time for us to go, she realized she had lost one of the earrings somewhere. We went hunting for it. I said, let’s check out the previous bar we went to (the one with the dope ass Filipino singer). And she found it. She was so happy, “Good karma” I said. When we started walking to a corner to get her a cab, she told me, “ You are such a gentleman, and beautiful person” I told her, “ You are too, and I am lucky to have been honored with your company”. She smiled. I had ordered a Lyft for here, she was staying in the India House Hostel on Canal. And we hugged and kissed each other. She said, “I’ll never forget you Jed”  I said ”I’ll never forget you too Michela”. And she went in to the car and off she went, waving goodbye....smiling beautifully.

There are a many things in this universe where the energy ebbs and flows. But sometimes you just need to take a dive. I wish I could’ve went home with here for many reasons and the obvious. Maybe I clearly missed my mark. But I made a friend. I had a perfect night. Two complete strangers, sharing and loving. I never learned about why she was melancholic. I didn’t even ask if she had someone back in Italy. I don’t know if we will ever see each other again. We promised to stay in touch. She has my number, and we have each other’s Facebook. That night we had zero expectations of each other, we just knew we loved music, we had the blues, but we always smiled and danced. We just, loved. 

We just,

loved.

For Michela, I’ll never forget you. And remember Lasciati traspoztale olal oliveztimeuto

or

Tenere i tempi buoni a rotolarsi

July 17, 2017 Frenchmen Street <3