Gone With the Wind

Lo and behold I reached Maryland last night and am now parked in my Germantown suburb apartment. With only a few hours of light under my West Coast belt, I have already come to marvel at a number of local touches—first and foremost being the diversity and frenzy of this place. Stepping out for a bite to eat, I was surprised to find myself a distinct minority, surrounded as it where by Latinos, Africans (of Africa), and Indian men and women in far eastern garb. In my opinion, uniformity offers predictability, offers boredom, so a step in the other direction is a good step for me.

I feel as I did when I first stepped into Brazil, when I awoke to the bustling streets of Salvador, and the many unknown worlds it offered. I feel overwhelmed – though in a good way – by the mystery of this place, by the sharp corners of its unfamiliarity. First days are always like stumbling around blindly in the dark, praying that you don’t run into anything too sharp or pointed.

My trip up too K-zoo was way more fun than it should have been. I stayed about a week, feeling the whole time like I was walking around in some distant memory. I insisted on keeping my homecoming unannounced, reveling in the far greater pleasure of a surprise hello. I jumped smiling into so many doorways—first my younger brothers, and then on into portals of the KVM, Wilgenholf, Doster, and many other great dynasties. I kissed old acquaintances, and shook hands with forgotten kings. Got a free lunch from Donna, Mandana, and Paula, and another by Bay (thanks guys!). Got to kick some serious Kendo ass with Terry—that was way fun. Got to throw a rip-roaring Kraftbrau horseshoe playing kegger with Alec—go bro. Got to kiss a number of lovely ladies at a bachelorette party, me being the only attending male—go team me. And with Eric, my good friend Eric, well we had a number of interesting adventures including my first Hooters experience, drinking a pitcher of Old Style Green Top beer before noon, and accosting random pedestrians with camera routines. All in all it was worlds of fun, almost enough to get sucked back into the Michigan mayhem once again.

But now, after a difficult but satisfied extrication, I now sit at (take note):

19932 Sweetgum Circle, Apt 14
Germantown, MD 20874-3781
USA

I have four months here, living with my college buddy Doug in an over-priced one bedroom place, and then plan to move closer to D.C. (in a three/four bedroom household with ERIC & SHEILA…..YES THIS MEANS YOU). I have a ridiculous amount of work to look forward to, including finding a job and applying for graduate school, all the while somehow making rent. I guess this means I can no longer play the gypsy card, that my life will become far more regulated and routine, but you can be damn sure that my adventures will continue. Life is only boring if we make out to be, and this boy hasn’t laid down his weapons yet. Nay, not quite yet.

(Ingleside Terrace. Alec's home and my wayward destination. This place has been a noted party den for years, and has provided many services to the Kalamazoo community.)

(This was hanging on the door to my room. I never quite had the answer to this one.)

(You guessed it. My feet.)

(Me and a noted trouble maker. She was my first girlfriend in the sixth grade. So fun to come back "home" and to reminisce.)

(Various peeps at my kegger. The guy in the red hat got his ass kicked later in the night by a Lakeside girl. Lakeside is like a treatment center for troubled teens. It's well known that you don't mess with the teens, and you don't mess with the employees. He thought it would be fun to tease her, and she returned by beating his face into the ground. I thought that the whole incident rather amusing.)

(um...yeah...no comment)

(Eric and I decided to f*ck around at the down town mall. We decided to be pedestryian gorilla terrorists. I assualted random people with my camera. Climbing stuff was a must too.)

(Ahhhh, good to be back in the states where fun is prohibited.)

(This is some of the random people I assaulted. I would just knock on random windows and tell people to smile. Try and catch the looks of suprise beneath the reflection.)

(Eric playing bum.)

(Drinking Old Style at The Green)

(We hit the museum and jumped valiantly through the tornado.)

I swear officer, she was the one that raped me!)

(After pool celebration at Mindy & Mandy's.)

(And who could forget, the blue moon finale.)


HA! I ROCKED THE KALAMAZOO!