I leave for Europe tomorrow morning.
I will be competing in the World Poetry Slampionship in Rotterdam in a couple of weeks. This is the same competition Buddy Wakefield won in 2004. I hope to bring it on home. Aside from the results of that slam, this event will usher in a very long hiatus from poetry competition. Don’t get me wrong, I dig slam buttloads. I’ll still slam in San José, and sign up occasionally elsewhere, but I will be done competing for prizes and titles for some time.
The crux of this trip, however, is a long visit with my father in Germany. He lives there with my brothers and my stepmother. One brother I have not seen since he was an infant in 1985, and the other I have never met. the last I saw of my father was in February 1989. He came to see me when I had hip surgery. I had just turned 13. He missed the rest. I’ve been an adult for 12 years. I’m a lot like him without knowing him.
It’s daunting, but exciting too. I feel I’ll understand things about myself and my family a bit more once I get to know them.
I will also spend some time in England with friends, while doing a couple of shows there.
So from June 5 to July 3, I will be overseas. Then I will be in Canada through most of August.
See you in September, America. I will miss you.
Oh, and those of you who have sent me postcards, fear not, I will check my PO BOX in the morning before my flight, then post the list to my journal when I have a free moment in Europe.
Be well.
–––––––––
Word to the nerd.
Wort zum Sonderling.
Word aan nerd.
Mot au ballot.
Word to the nerd, eh.
This entry was written by , posted on 4 June, 2006 at 1:12 PM, filed under Personal Updates and tagged germany, netherlands, Performance Poetry and Spoken Word, united kingdom. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.
My post card is sititng here — I don’t know where last week went! Oh yeah, I do, end of the school year. I’ll send it anyway, just so you have fun mail upon your return.
It sounds like an amazing time you have planned. I wish you the best!
I’m very excited for you. Also, I am looking forward to my postcards.
Bon Voyage, Mike, have a blast!
Good luck with all that family stuff, should be quite the journey…
See you in September
exciting, to have the chance to explore that part of your life. i do hope it goes well for you.
can’t wait to see you in august. i’ve been thinking thoughts too large for comments about your getting healthy post. maybe we can go for a long walk when you’re here.
good times, my friend. take care of yourself.
hope the meetup with dad goes well.
good luck in europe!
and most importantly..have fun and dont get caught.
I envy you – the feeling of opening up your P.O. box to see a huge stack of postcards – that’ll be magical! And then scoopin em all up, hopping on a plane, jeeez!
Say hello to Europe and your father for me.
Whatever you do after tour, just make sure it makes you happy
It’s strange how you can be alot like a parent you don’t know or don’t want to be like.
Have fun and be careul, we’ll miss you.
Can’t wait for my postcard to arrive
♥
canada!
toronto?
let’s go for beer!
love you mike
Have a blast!
This is amazing news on so many levels and I wish you luck on all of them. We talked more about your mom, so it didn’t completely register that your dad was so far away. What you are doing takes guts and I think you will be rewarded for that.
Love from all 3 of us.
good luck, mike. i wish you the best!
I will miss you and Bon Voyage! How cool is it to get the chance to see long-lost family and learn even more about oneself? Family never seems easy, but it always turns out interesting and adds fodder for the self-discovery.
*Hugs* to you, my lovely McGee that makes me so happy. Have a wonderful time.
xoxoxoxoxo
safe trip, honey – have FUN!
Love Germany, north in particular. Have a wonderful time, good bread/bro”tchen, and of course, Bier!
Enjoy Europe my dear friend, I will miss you. Hey best of luck with meeting your father and brothers, but remember the lesson you have taught so many of us: We make ourselves who we are, and you can understand yourself in its fullest if you only have you. You will always be Mike, my good friend, mentor to poetics, and accomplice in stage confidence. Enjoy all the new sights, smells, tastes, and feelings that are to come your way in the next month.