But it is experience, so I'll take it.
Well, here I am in Columbia! My mom and I decided to fly me back home for 10 days on my term break. So far I'm about 4 days into the trip and I've managed to see just about every person I would want to see, drink far too much, see 2 shows and get 2 tattoos. Well, I'll be...
But it's nice being back. Columbia, while still familiar, in the same regard looks totally different. I didn't think it would be this way. I wake up expecting to see my tiny makeshift closet bedroom, to walk outside and see that huge red bridge and a bustling river city. How in 3 months in a new city has my familiarity become so different?
But I love it in Columbia. I miss my drive-around route (Old 63 - Grindstone Parkway - Nifong - Scott Blvd. - Broadway - Ash). I missed my friends, my family, I even missed Jimmy John's. It's been pretty great seeing everyone and albeit, pretty nice to see surprised expressions and smiles when I see people. It's those kind of things you take for granted or don't notice when you are so used to seeing people on a regular basis. It's been nice to see that again; to walk into a room and know 10 - 15 people there and have something to say to each and every one of them.
This town is getting swallowed by bad zoning practices and shithole apartment buildings, half of which will get filled and many will lay dormant, wasting space that could have been left alone. Guh...
About the tattoos, I'm really excited about these! I have 2 tattoos already and while I like them, they aren't super deep/connected to me. I love Roy Lichtenstein, he's my favorite artist, so of course it's cool to get one of his paintings. The hamer throw guy has some meaning on it's own, but it's not a super great story (yet I repeat it about 20 times a week). So for my 2 newest additions, it was nice to get some stuff that was more of an example of things that mean something to me. The state of Missouri, while cheesy, it's important to me because Missouri is my home and always will be, regardless of where I live. So it's nice to have that reminder. And the "K" tattoo (which turned out beautifully if you ask me) is a subtle homage to my favorite friend in the whole world, my cat Kevin, who died this past February. While silly to some, I'm really glad I got to do something that will always remind me of Kevin. Cats will come and go from here for me, but Kevin will always be my favorite.
*
My Firefox forecast tool bar says that it's currently raining in P-town, and will continue to do so tomorrow. Looks like I left in good time. It was pouring the day I left. I woke up later than I expected and had to run out of the house, clutching my luggage. I'm lucky I managed to grab a hoodie. Running/speed walking 6 blocks in the rain wasn't the greatest experience, but to cap it off, standing under the overpass waiting for the MAX to show, I was bombarded by street teamers for the This Movie is Not Yet Rated documentary and they enforced a picture of me, soaked head to toe, holding up the advertisement. Nice...
Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to the rain. Standing, waiting for the 4 or 9, North Face jacket or not, will not be the most pleasant experience. But it is experience, so I'll take it. I realize that I knew these things coming into it. It rains in the Northwest, deal with it blah blah blah. Even though it will be unpleasant, there is very little I would trade it in for.
*
I saw a lady with a full mustache on the 4 the other day. While this isn't significant, it happens, it was just a little funny to me. Which went on to be sort of funny to me. Grasping to a small grocery basket stroller that she dragged onto the bus, knocking the shins of other passengers including myself, it popped in my head that I don't think there's anything in the world that isn't currently contained within that stroller. The lady looked rough, I prejudged and deemed her homeless or very poor. Much to my chagrin, the lady begins digging into her stroller, like a bear at the water's edge pawing at salmon, this lady was after something. It was pretty great that the needle in that haystack of a stroller was that day's Wall Street Journal, which she flipped open loudly, crossed her legs currently in dirty sweats and began thumbing through the pages.
I wonder how her Chipotle stocks are doing.
*
My week is filling up fast here, my bank account draining just the same. But it's worth it. I don't think I could come here and not see the small list of people that I absolutely have to see. As so far, it appears that I'm going to see them all more than once, which is a blessing.
I'm off to see Jace, but as a side note, I've begun my preliminary work on Sex Cells, which will be my print zine full of personal narratives and such ranging from childhood memories to lamenting over other dumb crap. Hopefully it will be better written than this here (you guys get the rough draft), but wish me luck! I hope it comes out and everything. I've always wanted to do it since Lisa and I came up with the zine name. Better late than never.
Anyone in Portland: Can you run by the Paramount Apartments and make sure my building isn't on fire?
m
But it's nice being back. Columbia, while still familiar, in the same regard looks totally different. I didn't think it would be this way. I wake up expecting to see my tiny makeshift closet bedroom, to walk outside and see that huge red bridge and a bustling river city. How in 3 months in a new city has my familiarity become so different?
But I love it in Columbia. I miss my drive-around route (Old 63 - Grindstone Parkway - Nifong - Scott Blvd. - Broadway - Ash). I missed my friends, my family, I even missed Jimmy John's. It's been pretty great seeing everyone and albeit, pretty nice to see surprised expressions and smiles when I see people. It's those kind of things you take for granted or don't notice when you are so used to seeing people on a regular basis. It's been nice to see that again; to walk into a room and know 10 - 15 people there and have something to say to each and every one of them.
This town is getting swallowed by bad zoning practices and shithole apartment buildings, half of which will get filled and many will lay dormant, wasting space that could have been left alone. Guh...
About the tattoos, I'm really excited about these! I have 2 tattoos already and while I like them, they aren't super deep/connected to me. I love Roy Lichtenstein, he's my favorite artist, so of course it's cool to get one of his paintings. The hamer throw guy has some meaning on it's own, but it's not a super great story (yet I repeat it about 20 times a week). So for my 2 newest additions, it was nice to get some stuff that was more of an example of things that mean something to me. The state of Missouri, while cheesy, it's important to me because Missouri is my home and always will be, regardless of where I live. So it's nice to have that reminder. And the "K" tattoo (which turned out beautifully if you ask me) is a subtle homage to my favorite friend in the whole world, my cat Kevin, who died this past February. While silly to some, I'm really glad I got to do something that will always remind me of Kevin. Cats will come and go from here for me, but Kevin will always be my favorite.
*
My Firefox forecast tool bar says that it's currently raining in P-town, and will continue to do so tomorrow. Looks like I left in good time. It was pouring the day I left. I woke up later than I expected and had to run out of the house, clutching my luggage. I'm lucky I managed to grab a hoodie. Running/speed walking 6 blocks in the rain wasn't the greatest experience, but to cap it off, standing under the overpass waiting for the MAX to show, I was bombarded by street teamers for the This Movie is Not Yet Rated documentary and they enforced a picture of me, soaked head to toe, holding up the advertisement. Nice...
Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to the rain. Standing, waiting for the 4 or 9, North Face jacket or not, will not be the most pleasant experience. But it is experience, so I'll take it. I realize that I knew these things coming into it. It rains in the Northwest, deal with it blah blah blah. Even though it will be unpleasant, there is very little I would trade it in for.
*
I saw a lady with a full mustache on the 4 the other day. While this isn't significant, it happens, it was just a little funny to me. Which went on to be sort of funny to me. Grasping to a small grocery basket stroller that she dragged onto the bus, knocking the shins of other passengers including myself, it popped in my head that I don't think there's anything in the world that isn't currently contained within that stroller. The lady looked rough, I prejudged and deemed her homeless or very poor. Much to my chagrin, the lady begins digging into her stroller, like a bear at the water's edge pawing at salmon, this lady was after something. It was pretty great that the needle in that haystack of a stroller was that day's Wall Street Journal, which she flipped open loudly, crossed her legs currently in dirty sweats and began thumbing through the pages.
I wonder how her Chipotle stocks are doing.
*
My week is filling up fast here, my bank account draining just the same. But it's worth it. I don't think I could come here and not see the small list of people that I absolutely have to see. As so far, it appears that I'm going to see them all more than once, which is a blessing.
I'm off to see Jace, but as a side note, I've begun my preliminary work on Sex Cells, which will be my print zine full of personal narratives and such ranging from childhood memories to lamenting over other dumb crap. Hopefully it will be better written than this here (you guys get the rough draft), but wish me luck! I hope it comes out and everything. I've always wanted to do it since Lisa and I came up with the zine name. Better late than never.
Anyone in Portland: Can you run by the Paramount Apartments and make sure my building isn't on fire?
m
posted by mwelch at 8:08 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home