IT'S IN THE AIR

Fucking hell man- spring is here! Full force- full on. Actually Europe is having a bit of a heat wave- and it’s fucking great! Although I can sense the underlying heat that is on it’s way… (Rome summers are kinda like NYC summers hot, sticky, horrible- you know, your basic nightmare…) it hasn’t yet arrived. Right now it is just delicious and lovely… I spent the whole of Sunday chilling in Ville Pamphille- the most exquisite park I have ever seen.

I guess I had gotten into a bit of a schedule… go here, eat there, visit friends… it had been a while since I had gotten on Luigi (the Vespa) and just gone out for a drive. Didn’t realize the park I was trying to find was on a hill- and on the way there I got the most unbelievable view of Rome… (and of course didn’t have my camera- bitch). Then once I got there- holy shit, fountains and lakes and tall grass- more like a field of wild flowers than a park with short cut grass- all over grown and wild, and water falls… it was breathtaking…. Rome is so good like that- give her a chance to show you something new, and boy does she deliver… it’s amazing.

So my new job is kinda great… we are still figuring out exactly what my roll is- but so far I have been reading scripts of unmade films and writing coverage (synopsis/ comments/ review) of them. It’s kinda of the greatest job ever. We’ll see if I can’t parlay it into something else- bigger better, but it’s pretty dope for now.

Also got another job that is super part time- only 2 weeks this summer- being a tour director for EF tours- so at some point in the beginning of June I will take 40 or so Canadian and US teenagers all over Italy- or something like that. (now these kids have teachers, chaperones ect- and we have local tour guides everywhere we go… I just kind of take them around… coordinate the thing- basically I get to travel Italy and get paid for it- doesn’t sound too bad right?) Technically could be anywhere in Europe/ the world- but I have a feeling for my first tour I will just get Italy… Could be amazing… we’ll see.

Been trying to arrange a trip home to work and make some cashish for a few weeks in may/ june… but I don’t think that’s gonna happen now. Quite simply it’s not worth it financially. After airfare, car rental, taxes and the fucking euro exchange- I’ve basically traveled a long way for not so much… so I don’t know. Thinking I’m gonna resign my lease till September- but without a jobby job where I am making real money I can’t tell if that’s stupid or not. My roommate is into it- so we might just go for it.

As of this morning I am officially in Italy illegally- the tourist visa expired today- which means I have officially been here 3 months. So I am going to go to London in the next few weeks- it’s not technically outside of the EU- but it is enough of a trip that I can talk my way out of any problems that might arise if I was stopped- never made a whole trip just to get a stamp on the passport. Think it’ll be fun… gonna get to see some friends that live in London- and of course go to the greatest museum of all time- the Tate Modern…. Plus- SUSHI!!!!!! Wow- that literally just occurred to me. CAN'T FUCKING WAIT.

Have to say- Italians hate anything that is not Italian food- and I mean yea- Italian food is awesome- no doubt- but good lord man- mama wants a fucking burrito- or a kebab, or some pad thai and mother fuck- MY KINGDOM FOR A SPICY TUNA ROLL. There IS some sushi… but it’s really expensive and not so good. And although I love Italian… it’s just, after a while… come on. Yes…. I think London will be good. Yum.

Enjoying my friends here more and more. This weekend was fun- went out (in a far more moderate manner than last weekend…) and just, had a really good time.

Can’t remember if I wrote about this or not- but back in February I had a going away party in LA. And I remember looking around and thinking- I know every single person in this bar. And more than that I have history and I LOVE all these people so much. And I just felt so safe, and so at home… albeit ready to move on- still so at home.

Well this weekend, as I sat in Finnegan’s- my local haunt, I looked around and I realized- I knew almost everyone in the bar. And while I don’t love them as much- or in some cases even at all, and I certainly don’t have the history with them… I still kinda felt at home- this weird home away from home. Because in this place we are all ex-pats, we are all removed and estranged. And I feel like in a land where they really don’t accept foreigners all that much- we have banded together. As if finding no nucleus to which we could cling, we have become a nucleus ourselves.

And I feel included, and a part of it.

And it’s pretty fucking sweet.


So anyway- more later- as always- till the next time- I will remain

Chase.