Only three weeks left for the start of my Pearl Jam European tour. Hard to believe, but everything is pretty much set. Truth be told, I really have no business going on this trip. I'm supposed to be saving to go to Australia to visit a friend next year. When Pearl Jam announced their European tour, all I could think of was how amazing it would be to see them overseas. I'd seen them in Buenos Aires and the energy of a foreign audience is incomparable. It's not that they are more into the band than we are here at home - far from it. But it is, inarguably, an entirely different vibe. I don't know if its because they don't get to see them as much as we do and the anticipation erupts in unprecedented ways, but you just can't listen to "Do The Evolution" the same way after you've been a first-hand witness to an Argentine audience singing the guitar parts.
I'd met a few people on the dreaded 18 hour wait on line for the Irving Plaza ticket (worth every second) and two of them had booked their trips to Italy. As the months progressed and I started seeing the venues, I began getting THAT feeling and I started toying around with the idea of going. Around the same time, I began a project about Pearl Jam fans that will one day, hopefully, make its way into print. What better justification could I have? I'd be traveling, talking to fans and doing research. This isn't some excuse to bum around Europe for two weeks and see a bunch of shows - it's work, right? RIGHT.
So after much deliberation, I closed my eyes and booked the trip. What was supposed to be just Italy turned into Bern, Italy, Prague and Berlin. Everyone who knows me well knows I just love to add notches onto my travel belt, and I had already been to Italy. I mean, while I'm there I might as well check out other places, right? RIGHT. Budget-wise it would not be easy. I tried getting a hostessing job to make extra cash but that fell through, and between working full-time and writing on the side, adding something else to my schedule would be a nightmare. I'd have to make due with what I could. So as I've done in the past when I got wanderlust at an inopportune time i.e. when I was broke, I started cutting back on luxuries like taking the bus and eating. Well, ok, I eat. You'd be surprised at how much money you can save by walking to and from work and bringing your lunch everyday and (no shit!) cooking at home. So once again, I turned to the Farina to suppress my hunger and my desire to order from Barking Dog every other night (if you're ever in NYC, they have the BEST burgers). Ramen noodles is for the college kids, so a few years ago I upgraded to Farina. Curious? Well, the box will give you explicit recipe details using water and salt. I've never, ever had it with such ingredients, so I make it the way my Mom used to make it for me when I was little. Of course, she also let me have espresso or cafe con leches before school, so this recipe ain't for everyone:
Milk - 1% or Skim, if like me, your metabolism has ceased to exist (This could be due to the Barking Dog)
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter 'Light' Vegetable Spread (Real butter is a fine substitute, but I had to quit once I hit 30. See above)
Sugar (No, it doesn't negate the purpose of the first two ingredients; a teaspoon of sugar only has 15 calories!)
Farina
Pour a good amount of milk into a saucepan, add a teaspoon of the 'butter' spread, and two teaspoons of sugar. Bring to a boil and lower the temperature. Depending on the consistency you prefer (thick or light), add the Farina by pouring it in for a few seconds, stirring the entire time. Bring to a boil again and reduce the heat and keep stirring! This is important, because if you don't stir, you'll get a bunch of clumps (they're not as bad as they sound). Stir for about a minute and it should be set! Let it cool off and enjoy. You can have it for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner and it should be paired with a fine pulp-free glass of OJ. I'm totally serious.
Anyway....how I've managed to digress from my PJ tour to my penny-pinching methods is beyond me. So everything's in place. I've managed to score an extra ticket to all the shows thanks to this awesome community. We've booked our hostels/hotels and have begun mapping our journey. This trip will be a far cry from my first backpacking experience with my best friend when we just went where the day took us. Because of the shows, time is of the essence and I'd rather be soaking up the culture than looking for an Albergo that has vacancies.......What I mean is, I'd rather be interviewing fans than soaking up the culture AND looking for a place to crash! I'll be jumping on the European Touring Bus from Pistoia, Italy to Prague. The bus was organized by the lovely Pinon and I can't wait to meet everyone on board. I'll have my laptop with me so I'll try to post frequently with updates on our whereabouts, the shows and our adventures following Pearl Jam around Europe. So check back often to see where we are and how far a tight budget and a hungry spirit takes us.
