Juanito

I went down to the palace tonight to have dinner. It's become a pretty regular routine for me. I work late and then get my meal "para llevar" (to go for you gringos out there) and sit down there soaking up one of my favorite sites in Europe.

It's Friday, so it was crowded and I had to wander around for a few minutes before I could find a spot to sit down. I got a good one. Front row just to the right of center. I'm enjoying my falafel salad with the fried cauliflower when this little girl sticks her head around the corner of the stone i'm leaning against. Her head pops out from the left side. Then the right. Then the left again. She has this beautiful white dress on and shiny shoes.

She asks me my name in Spanish and I'm excited to be able to not only understand her question, but offer a response. "Me llamo Rob". She tells me it's a pretty name. I'm flattered. Like the true local I've become, I toss out a couple of Spanish nuggets for her "y tú?" She says it's Juanito. I want to tell her it's a nice name too, but I can't remember the right expression, so I just smile.

She goes on to tell me she loves Madrid, asks me if I like her hair, and that the couple she is with isn't her parents. It's her aunt and uncle. She also says a couple things I don't understand and I either nod or ask her to clarify, but I'm pretty pleased with myself that we have carried on this long.

So I ask her "cuantos años?" and she says "seis". Juanito is 6 years old. She then says something else in spanish that I don't understand, so I say "yo soy de los estados unidos, y my español es muy malo". She then says, "I'm from Washington DC. I speak english too. Are we speaking English now?"

I guess we are.

Juanito is a bilingual 6 year old who lives in Washington DC. She's been here 20 days and goes home next week. Evidently she goes to spanish school so she can learn the language. I've been here 2 months, taken 6 years of spanish in middle school and started my rosetta stone course online. When the pressure is on, I can't remember how to tell her she has a pretty name.

She eventually tells me I'm handsome with my hat on, thanks me for talking to her and says goodbye. They're going to dinner now. So I finish my falafel and take the long way back to my flat.

I love my life. Another great night.

EXPRESS

I went and visited this painting the other day. It's called "Express" and is by a guy named Robert Rauschenberg if you've never seen it. It's at the Thyssen museum here in Madrid. It's what I was standing in front of when I got my "big idea" and also inspired me to dive more deeply into my visual art in addition to music.

It's one of those paintings that stands out. It's the last thing you see at this museum before they send you through the exit and into the shop. Three floors of priceless paintings by almost every important name in art for the past 700 years, and THIS is what they leave you with. That's saying a lot. I forgot how impressive it is to actually stand in front of it. I bought a little postcard of the image to take with me last time as inspiration. But I was blown away when I walked back into the room.

It's been really freeing to open up the restrictions I'd put on myself as a musician for so long. I was like a caveman.... "I....AM...MUSICIAN....I.....SING...SONG...FOR....YOU", while I scratched myself, jumping up and down, passionately grunting.

My life feels more natural now. I feel more honest with myself and you. I worked a lot this week. When I go to that place, it can be difficult. It's like the world ceases to spin on its axis. Sleeping is wrestless at best and even a stroll about the neighborhood doesn't really register. I'm exhausted. I think it's time for another mini road trip. Granada. I've been told it's a "must see" for me. I'm in.

I Just Found This

I'm organizing all my photos and just found this. i believe it was taken in Sun Valley, ID last year. Horrible quality taken with my crappy phone at night...but one of the greatest signs of all time!

3 Months....That's a Quarter Year!

Today marks exactly 3 months since I left my friends, family and the familiar sights of Los Angeles and set out on this journey. Since then, I've shot youtube movies of various adventures, taken thousands of pictures, met countless people, traveled around and been able to continue my work.

This experience has challenged me to open my mind and let go of a lot of ideas about myself and my life that I've held onto tightly for a long time. The whole trip has been amazing and beautiful, but it's only the past week or so that I've started to experience a peace of mind and clarity I've never known.

It's incredible to me how easy it is to set up a life here in Madrid. People are so warm and welcoming. It continues to blow my mind. Spain isn't particularly ambitious as a nation at least in comparison to the blind accomplishment machine of the US and LA in particular. They take siestas every day, and close down for the month of August for vacation. My LA DNA is programmed for "GO. WORK. BE BUSY. MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN."

I find the people here happy with a good meal, and fun conversation with friends. Sure. They all work and are trying to do interesting things just like everyone everywhere else. And I've been to great dinners in LA with people I love. In fact, I'm looking forward to more of those when I go there in September. But this city and the people in it have a warmth about them I just love.

Evidently my visa expires after 90 days, so I booked a return flight right before they deport me in about another month. My plans for the that time are loose, but include more road trips, more work on my "big idea" and more time with my friends here. Including the ones I haven't met yet.

Funny. When I think of going back to the US for awhile, I find myself wanting to go to Las Vegas....with all its' grandeur and ridiculousness that make it so fantastic to me. I don't know my plans for when I get back and I have no interest in worrying about it right now. It'll depend on my art and music life as well as how I feel. But I'm guessing a trip to Las Vegas will be on the agenda.

A Day Trip Outside Madrid - Hiking in Cercedilla

Hard To Keep Up

I'm on a morning stroll down La Rambla in Barcelona. I came back here to visit friends for a few nights. It's nice here. The street is packed even at this hour and will only get more crowded until about 2am. I just had a fresh banana orange juice and I'm walking down to catch a glimpse of the water before getting to some work I need to do.

The experiences and transformations I'm experiencing in Europe are coming fast and are too numerous for me to keep up with. But I'm going through a metamorphosis and it feels great.

Barcelona so far has gone exactly NOT how I thought it was going to. But lately it seems this is how things are for me. It's nothing like I think, and it's fantastic.

My journey in Europe is only partially completed and I know that. So even though my plane ticket to Los Angeles says next week on it, I'm canceling it. And I'm staying here until it feels right to leave.

I feel free. Like never before. Inside and out. And even my candy cane striped sunburn feels good under these clothes.

Rome - Part 2 (The Coliseum, Palantine Hill)