Ah, you crazy, crazy fools.
5:16pm (EST), August 2, 2003
My bedroom
Montepulciano, Italy
I realize that when Im doing nothing but sitting around in Montepulciano, there isnt much to write about. I check my email. I eat at restaurants. I read and play GameBoy both in the apartment and in parks. Honestly, its pretty un-interesting.
I went over to Erins after dinner tonight, because she was bored and her roommates are out of town too. We played Egyptian Ratscrew (fuck). Its been forever since I played that game like, high school. I keep reaching up on the keyboard for the key. I cant believe Ive gotten used to euro spec keyboards blarg.
I wanted to right more while I was here, and Ive got some inspiration, but I dont have the desire to write itll probably come when I get back home.
Speaking of home, its going to be weird in the airport. All of these people who have been my only circle of friends for weeks are just going to disappear. Ill probably never see most of them again. I imagine itll be a surreal scene, and theres not much I can do about it. So long Kasey, Erin, Travis, Steve actually, Steve I might see again, since he lives on the north side of Atlanta. Oh well. Ill be back with my real friends then.
Talked to Travis about the best man thing. Looks like he may be coming around
Ill write more tomorrow, but right now Im quite tired. The return home looms. I cant wait to come back to Italy and show people around, though. This is where I Or maybe just show them a sunset
11:51am (EST), August 3, 2003
My bedroom
Montepulciano, Italy
I may still have to do Teeters oral report, but Ive accomplished an awful lot today. Or at least I feel like I have. Its worth noting that its almost 6:00pm local time, but I have yet to climb the hill today. Im about to go check my mail and head to dinner, but Ive subsisted up until now on Ringo crackers and Coca Cola, which is more than enough, thank you very much.
Yesterday I turned the apartment into a cave. I closed all the blinds and/or doors and plunged the place into darkness. This has helped to keep everything in here cool, but it has also completely screwed over my sense of time. On the one hand, Ive not missed air conditioning in days, and Im finally starting to understand how these people live with out it. On the other hand, I have to constantly check the clock to make sure like nineteen hours havent passed. I want some of these blinds at home though. Theyre wood, theyre painted dark colors, and they WORK. Its as dark in here right now as my room ever gets at home. The sun is shining directly on one of the windows, and it just looks like a street light is hitting the window from across the street. It is feeble and weak. I am totally going to import these things and install them on all the windows at home. The actual Italian windows can stay here, since theyre noisy and inconvenient, but Ill take the blinds.
Other than that, Ive played a lot of GameBoy, listened to a LOT of music (this laptop hasnt been off for about three days, probably. In sleep mode, but not off), read an art history book, read some stuff about Roman soldiers and Caligula, and done a whole bunch of oil pastel drawings for a book that are funny as hell. Oh, and Ive written 1,000 words on The Eternal City. I wanted to start it while I was here. Im not sure how good of a start it is, but its there, which officially means that my second novel is underway, before the first is even finished, so to speak. I probably wont touch it again until I get home, but now I can say that I started that novel in Italy, and itll be true. 1,000 words isnt too bad for just a few minutes of writing, either. I know how the book starts, and how it ends, but the middle is still a bit fuzzy. Thats what Ive been working on in my head from time to time here.
Tomorrow I go shopping, and Im also going to go picture taking. I dont have enough pictures of Montepulciano. I was saving those, too, apparently. If Erin doesnt mind, Im going to go completely crazy with the picture taking. And if she does mind, Ill do it Wednesday, I guess. Before our big going away dinner. Im not homesick, like I thought I was going to be around this time, but I am looking forward to going home now. I can make myself homesick on command though, which is a bit weird. Like, earlier, I was almost asleep, and I thought about talking to Samantha in the childrens department of the library, and I got extremely homesick for a few seconds. It was weird.
Thats enough for this journal entry, I think. Stay tuned tomorrow, where we find out if anything actually happens!
Oh, and Travis is back from Rome, but no sign of Kalib or Steve. Will Steve return from Amsterdam, or will he stay forever? Only time will tell
11:49am (EST), August 4, 2003
My bedroom
Montepulciano, Italy
Im definitely not publishing this section of my travel journal until I get back, because I just bought a bunch of gifts for people and Im going to tell you what they are! First things first, though, I guess. Last night was awesome. I ate two steaks. Mmmm. Oh, and Steve did come back from Amsterdam, but he made the mistake of getting Travis and Kalib stoned. Those two are idiots.
Today started off interesting. I wrote my report for Teeter this morning since I had an hour before classes I marched up the hill early since I forgot that breakfast isnt served on Mondays. Then I finished my childrens book in Bills class and figured out that Ill probably get a B, because hes reserving the As for the very best members of the class. Let me tell you its an art class Ill end up with a very high B at the lowest thats all I can really expect. Theres no way in hell I can compete with Amy. Trying would only embarrass me. Then I went to lunch, checked my email and got some from Sam and Vivian, two of my favouritest people in the world, and then I finished my Teeter report. Which I gave in Teeters class. He seemed pleased.
After classes, it was time to go shopping with Erin. It went well, but I still have gifts to buy. I bought a handmade cat purse for Vivian, which means that the Venice print Ive been going back and forth on (Gift for Vivian? Gift for me? Gift for someone else?) is now most likely not hers, although the glass frog still is. I checked on one of the seals I want to get Samantha, but they were out of the style I wanted. Ill probably go back and get a single letter, or maybe the other style of double letter. Hopefully shell like it. Ill explain that I wanted to get a nicer one but they ran out. I found what I want to get mom but didnt get it since I wanted to keep looking. Its a nifty brass butterfly
also hand made. Picking up a birthday/return from Italy gift for Travis was hard. Theres nothing here that screams Travis! So I got him a nice bottle of Montepulciano Vino Nobile. He just turned 21, so alcohol is a given, but this is nice, and can be saved for a
special occasion
with Sara, per se. Or something like that. If he doesnt like it, I can get him something else. And then I got Erin (my sister) some Montepulciano soap that smells nice. I really cant think of what else to get her. At least Im doing better with her than I am with Dad. I honestly cant think of ANYTHING to get him. If he likes the Venice thing, that might work
otherwise I guess Ill look in some of the print shops and pray. I could get him a hand made book, but I dont think he writes by hand well at all anymore
this is not easy. Hmm
maybe if I can find an Italia hat, that would be great. Ill ask around and see if anyones seen like an Italia baseball cap. Other than that, Im out of ideas. Im glad I got that print as a sort of cover-all
though, since all the stuff around here is either mass produced crap you can get in America or local crafts, and Dad isnt a local crafts sort of guy. Erin
I can just get her some more bath stuff to round it all out. Getting Moms gift is the most important thing to do, though.
And now, to do nothing at all until dinner in about an hour. Well, Im going to march up and check my mail again first. Well see.
3:50pm (EST), August 5th, 2003
My bedroom
Montepulciano, Italy
Not much to talk about. I went to Orvieto today, hung out with Kasey, got dad a hat, came back, talked to Steve about drugs and music, got a bunch of emails, and ate dinner with Nikki, Corinne and Steve. Thats honestly about it. Our apartment is being inspected tomorrow to make sure everything is intact. Im honestly kind of busy at the moment, with finals tomorrow and all, so Im going to make this a very short entry and write about some of the random stuff that happened today tomorrow while Im waiting for Il Sasso to come and make sure nothing is on fire, lost, broken, or being worn by someone whos not supposed to wear it.
The wig has been put away. Oh yes. I dont know what Travis has done with his dress, though.
10:12am (EST), August 6th, 2003
My bedroom
Montepulciano, Italy
Even though I have a final tomorrow, I am proud to say that classes have ended. Soon I will be going home. I got a lot more than that done today, though. For example, I just walked down from the school, filming all the way to the gate of Montepulciano. I have no idea how well THAT will turn out, but hopefully well. I couldnt hope to take enough pictures of this town to give people at home an idea of what its like, and I dont think the movies will be able to either, but at least theyll help. I finished another, final, book in Bills class this morning. It was such a pain in the ass to bind that I had to use a hammer, nail, pliers, curse words, and other such things to accomplish the feat.
As far as I know, my gift shopping is complete. I bought Samanthas wax and seal today, and that book is also part of her gift. I picked up Moms brass butterfly, and I got one of the better ones in my opinion. I abstained from the vulgar corkscrews briefly, but I may pick one up anyway but thats beside the point. I think Vivians frog and moms butterfly are going to have to travel in my carry on luggage. Definitely moms butterfly, anyway. Hopefully theyll make it back to the states okay. I also finished off Erins gift with a hand made, leather keychain that cost 7 euros. Expensive, but cute, and unique.
It looks like its about to rain. How the hell is that possible?
Speaking of euros, I have more change, by value, in my pocket than I ever have before in my life. And that includes mom giving me $10 in quarters in high school. I have just over 10 euros in coins, which puts me at about 11-12 dollars. Its crazy. Im going to hang on to them if I can though, since coins make much better souvenirs than bills. Im going to keep at least one of the 2 euro coins and one of the 1 euro coins around. I have 60 euros or so left in cash thanks to the ATM incident, which is more than enough to get me home. Ill probably end up changing some at the credit union.
Speaking of change, theyre the exact opposite about it here than we are at home, and both systems operate on flawed assumptions. At home, we pay with bills and always assume that the business can make change. Here, they expect you to pay with exact change if you have it. They HATE not giving back round numbers of euros. Neither of these systems seems to accept that at some point, someone is going to run out of change.
Our big farewell dinner, complete with Holliss superlatives and our book show, is tonight. Apartment inspections are before then; so, basically, any time now. Im going to pull out my one good-ish outfit I brought for the dinner, but if its too wrinkled, then I wont bother. I need to do a mixed load of laundry today too, enough to put me over the edge for getting home. The first thing Im going to do when I get home is take a shower and put on fresh, home washed clothes. I dont care if I washed it here or not, everything is going in my hamper as soon as I get back. Everything. And one of these socks is going to bite the dust, whichever one it is that is about to rip in two.
Theres also a giant party at my place tomorrow night well see how that goes over.
I cant wait to go out to dinner when I get home
3:45am (EST), August 7, 2003
My bedroom
Montepulciano, Italy
Just a few hours until I have to go take Teeters final, and my scholarly obligations in this place are finished forever. Itll be fun to talk about Caligula!
Dinner last night was a blast. They took us by van to a restaurant in the middle of a vineyard, which partially supplies the restaurants house wines. Almost everyone, including me, was dressed up as far as they could go. It was quite a sight. All of Bills students spread out their books, complete with photo booth pictures we had taken earlier that day to go with them, and created a little show on the edge of the garden where we were eating. People really liked my First Book of Italy, as well they should. While I may have had better meals as far as food goes from Albertos here in town, this setting couldnt be beat, nor could the number of people, nor the special events. It was also a five course meal. We still didnt get menus, though. Dr. Welborn gave a few announcements after the second course, which included his thanks to us for convincing him to come back another year (he apparently wasnt so sure after last year) and reading the superlatives Hollis had drawn up. Some were surprising (how the fuck did Jennifer win Ms. Study Abroad?), but most were deserved. The best was that only one category was tied, and it was so close it was a three-way tie! I tied for Best Hair with Casey Stubbs, who won best dressed, and Corinne, who won a few things as well.
No, I take that back. The best part was when he said it was one last message from The Colonel at the end of his speech, something that not all that many people caught, but that revealed that someone had tipped off ole Dr. Welborn has to his nickname.
So what else is there to do today? Give out my email address and website, check my email, have that party tonight take a few more pictures, if I can remember to take my camera with me to dinner. I want a sunset, damnit. Hopefully Ill manage it. If not tonight, then Ill leave dinner early tomorrow night. Well, since it IS so early in the day, I might just write more later. No promises, though. For now, Im going to go work on my Caligula essay a bit beforehand and write down a few sheets of my contact info. Oh, and I should probably remember to get my art supplies from Bills room today.
6:34am (EST), August 8, 2003
My bedroom
Montepulciano, Italy
I just finished pre-packing. The only things left to toss into my checked bag are the clothes Im going to wear before tomorrow night. Its pretty full, but I dont think Ive added ten pounds worth of stuff. I certainly hope not, anyway. The heaviest things Ive added are the two books I carried with me the last time, and that bottle of wine. The wine should be balanced out by the lack of shampoo and soap and what not. Im also down one sketchbook and one newsprint pad. Im leaving whats left of those two things here for the people to deal with. Theyll probably thank me. Anyway, the rest of the things I bought here are very light, like soaps and a freakin` purse. That should be more than fine. Everything is nice and padded, so unless they do something really stupid and search my bag, which they might with those books, and fuck everything up in the process, I should return home ju
st as successfully as I arrived here. The bottle of wine is wrapped in a conad bag and a towel for safety, and then it has clothes around it. Thats all Im really worried about them fucking up. I may put it, or some of the books, in my carry on if I have room, but I really dont think I will. Im carrying moms brass butterfly and Vivs frog with me, of course, for protection, and when you add that to my laptop and such the bag is full-ish. I might put the travel guide in there or something. Anyway, maybe I can hope for them to search it in front of me if they have to. My biggest fear, that they would confiscate my lighter, was corrected by Steve. Actually, all we have to do is get through Roman airport security, which is pathetic. Why am I worried?
My roommates are at the pool. I stayed here to pack and rest and relax. It wasnt worth the bus trip to the pool, plus I was around all of those people for way too long last night at the party.
Yep, we had the huge hunchpunch party last night. It was a much better send off than the official dinner party, just because everyone was much more social. Thank god I got a lot of pictures. Four bottles of cheap vodka were used to make that thing. A surprising number of people showed up. Even Maggie made an appearance, and Bill was here for quite awhile. Casie (thats how she spells her name, she told me I think) came smashed, and stayed that way for the rest of the night. For awhile it looked like she was going to crash here, but the only person that did that was Andrea. Steve had to flee our apartment because of Amy she was crying at the end of the night, couldnt put on her shoes, and had to ask us if she was wearing a shirt. Hey, this was her idea, so I guess I dont really feel bad, although it was a depressing sight.
Quite a few interesting things were said that arent worth repeating here, other than that according to Casie, Rebecca had been reading this journal online already and was upset at the comment I made about Casie being my best buddy on this trip. She overreacts to everything its not like she really wants me around. Hell, the fact that she got upset and frustrated at me for not eating enough, twice shows that she overreacts. I like her, but, you know, that can get old.
And yes, Im aware that shes probably going to read that. In fact, since Ive been giving out Juxs web address in all of the contact books Ive been signing, I imagine a lot of people are going to be reading a lot of things about themselves. I dont really care, and Ive not said anything I wouldnt (or havent) say to their face. Almost everyone here is fun to be around, but you can get really sick of peoples annoying little habits if youre forced to be around them with little possibility for escape for this long. Andrea is annoying as hell half the time, and tries to shunt blame onto other people. Jennifer is a bitch. Big deal. I have more than enough flaws that Im sure all of these people are aware of. Its no big secret that no one is perfect.
I woke up after about three hours of sleep to go check my email this morning, and according to the slew of Vivian mail I got, Lucas is upset that hes not invited to the dinner Sunday night. I wish he wasnt upset, but there are a lot of people that arent invited Lucas cant really think hes as close a friend as Travis, Sam, and Viv can he? Those are the only three friends invited. Ill throw a party or something at some point soon for everyone to get together, but this is just a little thing to celebrate me coming home. Ill be jetlagged and disoriented and not all fun, in all likely hood. Oh well, I cant stop him from being emo if he wants to be, which he always, always does.
Mirror, mirror sorry, Fixxxer just came on my shuffle list.
This is coming to an end, dear travel journal. Soon you will be just a Jux feature. Perhaps Ill write another entry into you in Frankfurt, as I did the last time. Maybe Ill do it over the Atlantic. Youll get at least one entry tomorrow
6:30am (EST), August 9, 2003
My bedroom
Montepulciano, Italy
The final touches are being put on my Italy trip. I received my grade from Bill, and I got an A in my first and probably only art class. How special is that? Ill see Teeter later, but I almost certainly have an A in Roman History as well. As I said before I came on this trip, if I dont get an A in a Roman History course, Ill cry.
Still have to pack my carry on and whatever toiletries Im carrying home. Thats about it. Dinner tonight is going to be the last
But last night was the final night for Gino. Lots of people took pictures with him, and he looked pleased and sad. The book we made for him is hanging on the wall of his restaurant. He gave us all ash trays as a going away present when I come back to Italy, Ill definitely be stopping in to Ginos. The food at Albertos is better, really, but you cant beat the atmosphere and small-business feel of Ginos. I highly doubt hell remember me when I come back, but Ill know, and thats all that matters.
Im going to make another back up of all the pictures that didnt fit on the last CD I made tonight. Anything I take after this will stay on the cards until I get home, anyway. The CDs and the laptop are traveling in different luggage, so my pictures will survive even if something else doesnt. Not that I think that will happen. Speaking of not thinking that will happen
I have about 20 minutes left on my Internet Train card. Im going to completely drain it before dinner tonight by emailing people for the last time from Italy. If I have time, Ill personalize it. If not, Ill just do one mass email. If I get down to about five minutes left I think thats what Ill switch to. Itll be awhile before Im able to email anyone from a foreign land again, right? I hope I get to come back here
I hope dinner tonight is good, too.
Im so overly sentimental that its pathetic. Ive blamed my manic depression for years on being alone, but thats a major part of it as well. Entropy and empathy do not go well together, and I constantly have to deal with both. I get extremely attached to everything, and I dont want any of it to go away, ever. I might never see this apartment again. I might never see any of these people again. This shouldnt bother me as much as it does; after all, this is only a few weeks of my life. But I shouldnt still care about a lot of things I do. Oh well, just random thoughts. Ill see you on the flip side travel journal unless something astounding happens tonight that I just have to write about.
7:17am (EST), August 10, 2003
A very cramped plane seat
Somewhere over the North Atlantic
Ive already been traveling for hours. Ive run out of things to do on this particular flight; Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers just dont do it for me anymore. So I had to bring out the laptop. Its hard to type with my hands all cramped like this oh well. Itll probably be nearly impossible to get this thing back in my bookbag, but sadly the battery on the thing cant possibly last as long as I would want it to. No way is it making it all the way back to the states. Three hours maybe at least I get to listen to Sublime instead of the exact same music selection I had on the way over. Jeez, change it up a bit. Our flight to Frankfurt had really comfortable seats, and thats the only part of this trip Ive really liked so far. I was surrounded by friends, the seats were nice now Im surrounded by strangers with less space than those damn train seats. Im longing for a Trenitalia train. How fucked up is that? At least its better than being around a drunk Jenny, Anna and Rebecca on the bus to the airport. Jesus Christ, if only I had brought a boat oar with me
I cant wait to land and see my family, but my last night in Italy was d
epressing. Im going to miss my shitty little funhouse apartment. The first time I lived on my own was in another country, and boy was it an experience. But it feels strange knowing that Im not going to wake up in Montepulciano tomorrow, and that its not just a train ride away. Ill be back sometime
Im going to miss these people a bit, too. Andrea, Rebecca and a few others have already found Jux, and not all of them are going to be happy with what they find there, Im sure. But I liked you all, with only two exceptions, just so you know. Andrea can be funny and cool as hell. If youre reading this, you really shouldnt take what I say too far to heart. If youre stuck being around someone constantly for as long as we were, youre bound to get on each others nerves a bit, right? That has to be a law of nature somewhere.
The battery life remaining keeps going UP, or rather the estimated time. Awesome. I guess it doesnt take much juice to be a souped up mp3 player. Plus I turned all of the settings all the way to maximum battery life
I dont really have much to say, I guess. Its over. Ill miss Italia but it will be seeing me again. With friends from home. And Ill even see if I can get that same little apartment. That washer better still be there, too. Otherwise its just not worth it.
See you on the ground
Oh, and yes, Im still worried that they checked my bag and did something stupid thats going to break that bottle of wine. Nothing to do about it now. At least I got through security without a single hitch both times! Even though German security didnt have an actual metal detector, and the guy felt me up a bit too liberally me and everyone else. Oh well. Ciao!
The Jux Entente 