Untitled #1

I've been thrown a curve ball, big time. I would rather not go into it. There is just a chance that because of health issues my move could be postponed. It really makes me wonder if I am supposed to be going or not. I feel nothing but Iceland now. That's all I really want, its all I see and its all I dream. But that might be my problem. Now that after all this time, family is becoming an issue. What can I do? Regardless of what happens I am pressing on with my normal plan, I can't afford to wait around and find out whats going to happen.

I got my passport pictures taken last night. I'm headed to the post office on Monday to get the whole deal processed. Strange and new for me, I've never had a passport before, never had use for one. After that I have time to wait around. Up to six weeks processing time. Although I'm sure they come sooner than that a lot of the time. Is there really all that much to process? How many people can really be applying around this time? What really goes into the processing? I am twenty one years old, have no criminal record and have lived in the same place virtually my entire life. I feel like my passport should be the easy one.

I have to play a Kodiakshow today. I hope it goes well. This will be the first show we have ever had where we didn't practice for it beforehand. I'm not worried. I will go there, talk small talk with a bunch of people I don't know and pretend to be their best friend for a few minutes, My band will barely talk to each other, we will play, watch the last band, say how much we loved playing there and then go home. Then we go and do the same thing next weekend and the weekend after that. Shows used to be fun for me. Feels like a chore now. I don't really know why. I think it heavily has to do with the attitudes I see in everyone in the band (besides Danny) its such a careless attitude, They have no care as to what happens or what we are doing.

Iceland needs to come sooner..

Passports and Concerts

I checked my bank account when I woke up today and my tax return has come in! Time to pay some bills. Also time to go get my passport. I will probably go to D.C. during the week to the passport office, let them know I am applying for a Visa and that I need my passport as soon as possible.

My band Kodiak has a show on Saturday, and again next Friday. I am trying to be as enthusiastic as I can be. But in light of everything that I have been thinking about and planning, its difficult. I really love that band. I love playing shows and I love my friends, but I don't have the same drive that I did before. I suppose it started when they took my Internet access away from me at work, I was using my free time at work to contact booking companies for our tour in May. As of today we only have three of those dates booked. I would say that its up to the rest of my band to try to book the rest of the dates. No one else seems to have the drive ether. It shouldn't be my full responsibility anyway, I would think they would have the same drive as me to book these dates. We will see I guess.

Ether way. Kodiak would be my only reason for staying here longer than August. If something happens and I find that the band is getting somewhere and we are making progress beyond what we have ever done, then I would be glad to stay in the U.S. a bit longer. Its hard to write songs these days, its really hard to get shows, and I personally think the hardest thing out of everything is keeping people interested. Refer to my previous post about people who claim to "love" music around here. That might explain it.

Too Much to Take in

I found a site that is all about moving to Iceland and what all needs to be done before you get there. For me to think this whole thing was going to be as simple as filling out some forms and writing a few checks was dumb. As far as I can tell outside of a passport I also need

A Residence Permit
A Work Permit
A Visa
An ID Number

And proably alot more than that. Hopefully the Embassy will make it a bit easier. I am getting a bit discouraged about the documentary I had hoped to make along side the actual move. I have no ideas for it and I Have never been one to take my camera around with me anywhere to film just anything. But I will really regret it if I dont start recording everything.

The site that I was talking about is Here

Reason #2 - Unfinished Business

When I was about 8 years old living in Greenbelt Maryland, I was always on a mission of some kind. I was always setting out to make something great, and by great I mean something that no one has ever done, or something that someone would never do. The earliest thing i can think of is when I tried to build a Jet-pack out of one of those squirt-guns with a water backpack on it. I was completely convinced that it was very possible and that I could make it out of household items. Just stuff i would find in the shed and in my kitchen. I moved on from this idea and went on to building a hover-board that was completely air powered. I absolutely knew that I was going to make this and be the first person to do so. That's what made it so appealing, it was almost impossible.

My friend Graham and I started work on the hover board and much like this Iceland trip I told him "sshhhhhh keep quiet about it" as if it was something that would actually happen. We gave up on it, realizing that computer cooling fans could not lift a skateboard deck and there was no real good way to power it. We were also like 8 so we had no idea what we were doing.

I moved on to movie making. We were going to make a full length feature film about our very original fighting force known as the "Mini Rangers". No no no not like the Power Rangers at all :) I was very much into learning all about producing, directing, set design, exec.. A truly huge undertaking for someone of my age, but then, That's what made it so fun, I knew I was young So I figured that's what would make movie and inventions more popular in the end.

Throughout the years I have always done the same thing. Anything extremely out there or near impossible, I have been all about it. The problem I think, is the fact that nothing that I have attempted has actually been completed. If I had to complete all my unfinished projects all at once I would have to quit my job and my bands, and somehow win the lottery or rob a bank.

Now. With Iceland, I feel like it can actually happen. Its not completely impossible. But just close enough to it that its all I think about. I feel like a kid again. I have something to shoot for that can actually happen. I feel like I can finally grow up. Something has been holding me back for 21 years, and I think I can finally move on.

Reason #1 - Music

The first question that anyone asks me whenever I tell them about my new undertaking is,Why?

Most of the time I reply with why not? But I will attempt to make it more clear. Although I am realizing more and more that I am an awful writer, just awful. Hopefully that will improve with every post. Since there are quite a few reasons and I don't have a lot of time right now I will break it up in to parts.

Alright so here goes. This is why I am going to Iceland.

REASON #1

Music. Yes music, first and foremost. Have you ever turned on the radio in America? Yeah, its pretty bad. I don't know about you but I can't stand it. Everyone has an opinion, but when one of the biggest songs in the world (besides Iceland :) ) has lyrics like

I'm talking about - everybody getting crunk, crunk
Boys trying to touch my junk, junk
Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk
.

There is something wrong there. I don't know how else to say it. Iceland, so I hear, is a place where they have a genuine care for music in many forms, and they have a deep distaste for terrible music. Now again. Everyone has an opinion, but music is something that they just seem to care about. That is completely foreign to me. All my life I have been surrounded by people who don't care about music at all. To most people its just white noise on their car radios to keep them from falling asleep. Outside of just listening to it. The people at concerts are the same way. I have been to so many concerts where people will just talk and talk throughout the whole concert and occasionally yell out "WOOOOOOO". Yeah. People really do care here.

I play music in a metal band, so I am at shows almost every weekend. In the metal scene there is nothing but tough guy attitudes and assholes. They walk around staring every single person in the eyes trying to find someone that gives them a nasty look. Since the music is playing they have an excuse to beat the hell out of the guy (or girl) and not get in trouble, if anything they just get kicked out of the venue and to them, they have earned the utmost respect they deserve from everyone after a such a damn hard life lived in Fairfax Virginia....must be hard man, good thing you beat up that kid back there.


Don't get me wrong I love playing music. I love getting the crowd to move and sing along, but I can not stand going to the shows and being able to read every person like an open book. Not a single one is there for the music (or lack there of)

I could be completely wrong. Music and its scene could be completely the same over there. But I doubt it. It couldn't get worse than how it is here.

Progress, Encouragement, Progress

Last night after I got home from work, It was nothing but progress. Not only did I redo all of my already finished Icelandic lessons, I was also motivated enough to do all of my laundry and clean my room! This is extremely exciting for someone like me, trust me.

I talked to my dad yesterday, he asked how he could help me with my travels. I told him that the truth was, at the rate that I am going with saving my money. I will just barely make it to the amount that I need and even that would be pushing it. He said that he would help me out as much as possible. Just last night, Ashleigh told me that she would not allow me to fail. She said that I have to go. I'm not sure how she would help me out financially but I know that I really like hearing that from her. It means a lot, really.

I am meeting up with Tim after work today. He showed much interest in coming with me when I mentioned this to him last week. His problem is school however, he still has another year of high school left. I have complete confidence that he really wants to go. I just don't know if he can leave exactly when I want to leave.

I feel like discouragement is inevitable in regards to this, but so far everyone that knows about my plans has been extremely encouraging and insightful. I'm sure most of the reason is the fact that they don't actually see me going through with it. Don't misunderstand. I am not doing this at all just to prove people wrong or impress anyone. Although it would seem that way sometimes. A lot of the reason I am doing this is for everyone else. So that they will look at their life and situation and be able to say "I can go anywhere I want" no one should feel stuck. But anyway, when discouragement comes I just have to greet it with open arms and continue on my way with it following me, not leading me.

Start - Introductions

Where to begin,

Just so you all know, at first this blog will be boring and uninteresting. I am not in Iceland yet and I will not be in Iceland for a good six months or more. As of today I am on lesson 5 of Icelandic 101 on livemocha.com so far an amazing teaching method. Much like The Rosetta Stone.

I opened a savings account and am adding $100 every week. I am looking for information on housing/apartments over there, or perhaps people to room with.

Although, people to room with isn't as big of a deal as other things because my good friend Danny is coming with me as well. He is just as excited as I am to finally do something that most Americans...well any people really, are afraid to do. That is, to leave your homeland to live in another world. Granted, this may not be a big deal for some of you, but to me and the people that I grew up with, this is unheard of. D.C. has always been home. Always. So much to me that everything else seems completely fake. I have only left this area a handful of times, so to me every place that I see in the movies or on TV or in books, could be completely and utterly false. As if my life is that of The Truman show.

I could go on forever talking about this.....and I most likely will. I have already, to a select few people, I have said these same things over and over again. I am trying to keep this somewhat secret, only because if something ends up happening where I cannot go or do not go. I don't want to be Ridiculed for it. I also feel like I will be told I can't, or that it just wont happen.

If you don't feel like reading all of the things that lead up to my leave then wait a few months and check back. I am also using this blog as a Journal for a documentary I am filming along side this trip. Welcome to my new start.