This is the last Breaker’s Point that I will be writing in London. That is crazy to me. It has been one of those things where I feel like I have been here my whole life though it feels like this whole semester has absolutely flown by. I am upset to leave this place and for this experience to end. My friends and I call this abroad semester fake life. We will never have free reign of a city like this for three months with this few responsibilities and cares in the world. I feel like I made the most out of it, and I am leaving feeling as I got pretty much everything in that I wanted to. This is not the last Breaker’s Point that I will be writing in Europe though, as next week I will be Italy, taking a train from Florence to Rome. I have always wanted to go to Italy. It has been high up on my bucket list when it comes to traveling and vacationing. It is funny. My last album is called “Need a Vacation”, and boy have I gotten one. My next album might be called, “Need Some Structure.” Anyhow, I cannot wait to see all the sites in Italy and eat some of the greatest food that I will ever eat in my life. Oh, food. It is time to get into the gym when I get back from here.
I visited Abbey Road Studios yesterday. It felt like a rite of passage as not only a music fan but a big Beatles fan. I listened to side one of Abbey Road on the way there and side two on the way back, which of course is the medley; one of my favorite pieces of music ever. You just cannot beat it. You are not allowed to go into the actual studio, but I walked across the road and got my picture taken, explored the Abbey Road shop, and wrote my name on the wall outside of the studio. Maybe it was because I listened to the album on the way there or maybe it is not, but it felt almost spiritual to be there. My religion is Rock and Roll and that was a pilgrimage that I needed to make. Last week’s entry was quite long, so I am going to make it short this week. I hope that’s okay with you.
Grateful Eight
* It bears repeating how grateful I am that I was able to have this experience, and then tack on an Italian vacation at the end. How were your last three months?
* I am grateful for the new friends that I have made here. I now have good friends and those friends are people that I did not know before I came here. Shoutout to all of you.
* Cruel Country. Wilco is coming out with a new double album of 21 songs. They announced that they will be debuting the album live on the first night of their Solid Sound festival. I will be in attendance (geez, another vacation?). It will be cool to be amongst the most diehard Wilco fans and hear this music for the first time.
* Indian Food. Ok, so I always thought Indian food was kind of gross, and maybe where I live in New Jersey it is, but I have had it a couple of times in London including last night and it is unbelievably good. It is spicy as hell and my whole body was on fire afterward, but it is so delicious and so rich in flavor. If you are a foodie like I am and have never tried it, try it! Although, Indian food in London is supposed to be better than Indian food in India. The national dish is Chicken Tikka Masala for god’s sake.
* Shoutout Sam Carus. After a lot of deliberation, I am grateful that he was able to finally make a decision about where he is going to goddamn school. Butler is a perfect fit for him, and he is going to do amazing things.
* The bread here. You are always gonna get some really good bread in London. Sometimes, I take a baguette and make a sausage, peppers, and onion sandwich.
* A great internship. I interned this semester at The Animal Farm; a label services company. I learned a lot and gained a lot of experience on the job. I also had a great boss and great colleagues who I was happy to get to know. I feel a little more ready for real life than I did before this semester, but still not really.
* On that note, one last year to be fully a kid!
This Week’s Rare Mnemonic Advice/Josh Carus Recording: Everyone’s Chasing a Dream
This song is based on the feeling of longing for something, and not even knowing what it is that you are longing for. I know I and many other people are always looking toward the future. How am I going to get to that place that I really want to go? The escape from mundanity is a popular theme in rock music. This sense of longing often drives me not only to write and record music but work on myself as a person and hold myself to a certain standard. Sometimes I fail, and that is okay; we all do. That is why it is equally important to let bygones be bygones, accept the lessons you learn and move on which this song also addresses. Living in the moment is what is going to help make you and me successful human beings—whatever your idea of success may be. I demoed this song during winter break, but I believe that I wrote it last fall. There is definitely something missing in this arrangement, but I am confident enough in the recording to share with you the track.
Everyone’s Chasing a Dream
Everyone’s chasing a dream
Elusive as the wind
Monday morning coffee, Friday evening gin
Store-bought information
On how to live
Daily planning, a regimen
Everyone’s chasing a dream
To escape the one that they’re in
I just wanna know how to forget, How to not know a thing
Clever people tell you
A recipe for progress
Why do they care?
Do they not have secrets?
