North America Guitar Tour
Chicago
August 10, 2014
Still feeling the afterglow of the night before, I left Detroit for my next destination, Chicago. In the end, I enjoyed Detroit to the fullest, despite everyone's worries. I might have seen a different side of the city if I had gone downtown, but I didn't have the time or the inclination to go there.
I received several inquiries from Chicago, where I was going that day, immediately after announcing my trip, but in the end nothing was decided, so I thought I might as well go there, and I was planning to look for a place that had an open mic. Then, I think it was around Buffalo or Meadville, when I received a message from Ms. I, a junior high and high school student six years younger than me, saying, "I have a childhood friend named Mr. N living in Chicago, and if you don't have any plans, please stop by." When I told him about your trip, he showed interest and said he would provide me with a place to stay. I am very grateful.。
I had only stopped by Chicago as a stopover on a flight a long time ago, but this was my first time in the city itself. However, as I was driving smoothly according to the directions of the navigation system, I arrived at my destination, Mr. N's house, before I knew it. I was looking carefully, hoping to see the city scape of Chicago somewhere, but I must have missed it because the weather was cloudy.
I got out of the car and looked around, and it was a quiet residential area. Then, Mr. N and his wife came out, probably because they saw me. It had been a long time since I had exchanged greetings in Japanese. I have met several Japanese people before, such as Mr. T from LA and Mrs. O from Orlando, but this was the first time I had met someone like Mr. N, who was stationed there, so I straightened my collar more than usual. When I entered the house, there were several other people there, and we said hello to each other in Japanese style as politely as possible. There was a chair prepared for me to play, so I decided to play first, I took out my guitar and continued the conversation while tuning it. Of course, it was my first time meeting the people there, but there were a few others who Mr. N had never met before, so it was a little stiff. Since the night before in Detroit had been a relaxed atmosphere, I enjoyed the difference, but it is also my duty to loosen up the atmosphere. I played for about an hour, cracking jokes, and then ate the sandwiches that had been prepared for us.
After the guests had left, it was just Mr. & Mrs. N and I, and we talked about our lives, but we were still a little stiff. It was no wonder. A wanderer had suddenly come to visit them. What is everyday for me is nothing but extraordinary for Mr. & Mrs. N and his wife. As the night went on, Mr. N was going to work the next day, so I was shown to the bedroom that I would be using that night (it was at this point that I realized for the first time that it was Sunday). There was a washlet in the bathroom that I was allowed to use. In fact, I had been using a portable washlet throughout this trip. I fell asleep while thinking about how I could loosen them up.
The next morning, I woke up before dawn and sat on the toilet with a washlet that I was looking forward to, but at this very moment I was constipated. It felt like I had a fever on the morning of the field trip I was looking forward to. After a while, Mr. & Mrs. N got up and went out for a jog, so I thought it would be okay to make some noise, so I took a quck shower. After that, I played the guitar quietly in the kitchen, and it worked. Mr. and Mrs. N's expressions clearly relaxed. I felt that the sound of me plucking without playing anything added color to their daily lives. I left Mr. N's house at the time of his work and headed for Minneapolis, the final destination of the main part of the trip. At this time, Mr. & Mrs. N waved to me at the front door until I disappeared from sight, and I did not forget to wave back to the end.
*The people who appear in the text are written with their initials until their identities can be confirmed.
Contents
Introduction
Until Departure
Seattle
To California
Day Off
Sunnyvale
To La
LA 2 Days
To Tucson
Albuquerque
To Colorado (beginning of Miracle)
Berthoud
Denver
to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City 2 days
To Texas
San Antonio
Georgetown
Dallas
Houston 2 Days
Benton
Nashville (CAAS)
Roswell
Tampa 2 Days
Miami
Orland 2 Days
Myrtle Beach
Chapel Hill 3 Days
Kingsport
To Indiana
Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Festival
To Staten Island
Manhattan
Phillipsburg
Nazareth (Martin Guitar Factory)
To Massachusetts (end of Miracle)
Methuen
To Montreal
To Buffalo
Meadvill A Day Before
Meadvill Ghost Hotel
Detroit
Chicago
Minneapolice
Spin Off #1
Spin Off #2 "EU Tour IN 2008 / Until Departure
Czech 1
Czech 2
London
Liverpool
Chesham
To Germany
Lemgo
Ingolstadt
Bregenz
To Italy
Florence
The Last Gig
Going Home