Corey Sudduth: World Traveller

That's what my third copy of my ticket to Boston said. Man, the last few days have been beyond words. Not in a "so amazing" way, and not in a "what a bummer" way either. The last two months and even more so the last five or six have really given me incredible perspective. I've been to Europe, read a few chapters on how complicated women can be, had a lot of alone time to think, and met many new people. Not to mention graduated from the audience :) Woah... I feel like throughout High School I had so much I could've been and done but it just wasn't my time. All of the events and missed opportunities that gave me a truly unique High School experience were not what put me in this position of ?stasis? not quite right but I'm for once at a loss. It was me. That's what I'm trying to say. All the teachers and adults and peers in the world could've told me and I shrugged it off. I believed it, but I didn't want to accept it. But at the same time, I didn't want to blame life. I'm just so glad that I took this opportunity to jump out into the world even if it was only a short hokey pokey. I see now that I was doing the oppsite of what I had preached since I was wee. I was looking! I've always said that the best things in life come to you rather than you to them. Yet, when I wanted to do well at something, or try something new I would look to it to "strike inspiration in me" or wait for something to push me. I just need to do things, I simply needed drive not inspiration. Inspiration will come in time but for now I need to take the things I love, draw them close, and make something of it. Just because! The worst part is that this trip has only extended the list of things I want to do and be. I'm pretty sure now though that I have time to try them all, with the grace of God, so I'm totally game. It's a pretty awesome feeling really. Alright enough of the silly manifesto. I'm'a be honest my last few days in Amsterdam were a bit of a blur. I went out the first day and walked the whole North, South, and West of that city. The next couple days I would find first dayers and take them out (on them) sorta like a coffeeshop sherpa. It was a little ridiculous for sure. The last day I went on a great tour of the Oude (eastside) area it's got a name after old but I forget. It was freezing cold out and the wind was pissed at me for having the audacity to go on a walking tour I guess. So by the time I got back to Jordaan ('hood where my last hostel was on the westside [has anyone else noticed I always stay on the Westside?]) I was ready for a serious nap. I awoke to total boredom with a dash of loneliness. I tried to solve that by visiting the Hotel Utopia (one of my favorite's) where I got roped into a purchase I later regretted and came back to my bed at around nine feeling like a whirlypool. I was sick feeling, freezing, greasy, overwhelmingly pleased to be in Amsterdam sippin a hot cocoa, and thrilled to be on my way home. It was then that I went back out with some money I hadn't realized I had and chowed on some Doner and pancake. At the Doner place I saw my flight was in ten hours and someone had told me (not for the first time) that international meant a 3 hour early arrival. Shit! Pardon me but I was ready for bed and I had to be up at like 5:30 to catch a tram, to a train, to a plane...yeah, I had a coffee and didn't sleep much. I did manage to have freaky dreams and kept waking up with my blankets on the floor in the fetal position. Yeah best not to ask :{ So I roll into the now infamous Schipol airport at 7 cause I woke up from my 31st catnap a little late. I had some pizza and was doin alright chuckling at the unmanned security checks at every gate rather than at the entrance to the gate area. From there I had a crazy day. First the machine tried to swallow my 2euro and because I had 2 hours on my hands I spent about an hour doin Power Ranger moves with a stir stick fighting that machine like it was alive (pretty sure it was) and when I finally heard the *clink* I nearly broke into song and dance. Then I looked that macine in the eyes and realized it had forgotten I wanted stroopwafel and so had simply taken my money as a generous donation to it's well being. I was heated. Now with about twenty minutes left till take-off I turned towards the gate wondering why we weren't boarding yet and bumped right into one of the people from my flight (a ways down the hall with me and the devil machine) and looked past him to see that I had been fighting for the last few minutes in what was now the middle of a lengthy line. The airport folks actually waited till, in flight terms the last fucking minute, and then decided they were gonna get everyone in line, check them and their bags, and then board, with their own little passport check machine and everything; to expediate the process of course (my passport had already been checked twice). Got on and the flight was delayed 45 minutes while they counted, recounted, re-recounted and then interviewed everyone on the plane (truth) to make sure they weren't one person short, or maybe one extra? I don't know. The pilot was great he just kept blaming the airport (whose fault it turned out it was) and kept apoligizing on behalf of Aer Lingus. One mispelled last name, an hour and half, two more runs through customs and security, a jog across Dublin International and a missed connection later I was receiving a ticket to London and a connection ticket to Boston. Oh good I'll only get there three hours later, great. So I arrive in Heathrow, travel from terminal 1 (Detroit) to terminal 5 (El Paso) and got a reprint of my boarding pass (the titlesake). While we waited I chatted with two other folks going through the same ordeal about cars for an hour. I didn't sleep on the plane. Got back. Missed the bus by fifteen minutes. Waited an hour and a half for the next one, and got rolling. Oh but first we had to go to South Station to make a pick-up (announced in thirderson in a casual btw style). What a bad idea. The driver was pretty much ready to make an evasive maneuver (I realize this after we pulled a U-y after the first police blockade on the off ramp) and pretty dedicated to those potential passengers (dawned on me after we passed the second blockade) and pulled into the city. We actually pulled up on a third blockade (this is South Station so I assume there's a civil war goin on or some shooting or bombing) and the bus driver hopped out and the cops told him there had been a bus (maybe four) that had caught fire (I saw absolutely no sign of this) and we could make our pick-up at the outdoor port. We grabbed our 5 new folks and rolled North watching Encounters at the End of the World, during which you are told that life doesn't really matter and that humanity is a doomed chaotic event in a cosmic series of similar such events. Yeah you guessed it I still coudn't sleep for some reason. I got home here at nearly one and woke up at 8 (cause I'm stupid) and now I'm running on every Christmas cookie in the house and some OJ! Bedonk! I'll be on island soon...I hope. On behalf of Corey Skies I would like to thank you for readng with me these last two months, have a safe onward journey and we hope to be writing for you of some new adventure fairly soon. PEACE OUT YO!

p.s. that was hella longer than I thought...jeesum crow

Spain & Holland

The last 7 days in Barcelona were much awesomer than the first one. I met my new good friends ross and Tupp in the shithole hostel. The three of us came to really like the "character" of our hostel. All of the employees (including friends they number about 20) treated you like a cousin they didn't like much that came to visit. Only one woman ever cleaned our whole floor and the kitchen (she was awesome) and the others wouold close the kitchen to take over and eat and chain smoke. It was all very nice and we found the city to be amazing and then in came the Swedes. The three of them were a whole new fun. There were nights of cheap wine and guitar jams, with a huge cloud of cigarette smoke and "de boobs" our constant companions. The boobs were an ashtray. Most nights we would come back with a pile of groceries make pasta and talk to Will from the State Department. On the last night we saw a movie and I got pasta for free because I spent my last on a Doner Kebab earlier. If you ever visit Europe or the ME hunt for Doner Kebabs and various other kebab, falafal, and pita places. Cheap, greasy fun for the whole family. On my last day I ran round like a chicken with my head cut off worrying that I wouldn't survive in Amsterdam. I found emergency money from one of my accounts and so began the process. Tram, to train, and then to the airport all having had too much wine and constantly worried for some reason. Barcelona Airport is more of a very nice mall than an airport and so (because I got there early) it was looking like a hungry plane ride. I got on the plane though and like a charm I used my incredible power of PTFO and fell asleep before take off. Amsterdam is great. Going out for absinthe in a minute with a pair of Canadians. I have already seen what feels like all the city. That has a lot to do with my missing the last tram over last night. I got in at midnight, dropped a 20 off a bridge, and then headed towards the hostel. I walked and walked. Dutch people though, even at 1 am, are soo friendly. I got directions and advice for coffeeshops, and encouragement from at least 3 people who I didnt even ask! As I got close though it started to snow. It was surreal. Alone and lost in a foreign city walking through a beautiful park with snow gently falling. Then to top it off I took shelter on the stoop of the Van Gogh museum and five minutes later I was snuggled up in a soft bed. I am off now!

Cheers