Matt Jaku

My German Adventure

Let me start off by saying this will be a long post. I am writing about my 10-day trip to Germany from September 20 – September 30, 2023. And for the sake of simplicity, I’ll be using the 24-hour clock when talking about times.

First off, I don’t think I want to admit it, but I will. I feel like I was under prepared for the trip. Excited? Yes. But definitely not prepared. What do I mean by that? Well, more jet lag than anything. Until now, I’ve never left the United States. My longest trip distance wise was to Hawaii about 20 years ago. My first international trip was to a place that’s a 9 hour plane ride away. Do I regret it? Not for a second, but it did take some getting used to.

I went with a friend of mine. We left at 22:30 on the 20th and arrived in Frankfurt at 14:20 on the 21st. I also worked 10:00 – 18:00 on the 20th before we left. Once we arrived in Frankfurt, we took 3 hour train ride on the ICE to Munich. Between the 20th and 21st, I got little to no sleep, and I’m certain I was up for basically 24 hours straight, if not more.

The 21st was a rough day. Lack of sleep, jet lag, being in a new place, it all added to building anxiety. We wandered the streets of Munich that night and found some stores and places to eat. There were a lot of people walking around as well. Some sober, some drunk.

After walking around for a bit, we went to the bar at the hostel we were staying at. We had a drink and then we went to Subway. That’s correct, I traveled 4500 miles to go to a Subway. I’m not proud of it, but it was open and it was familiar. After we ate, I went to sleep and I slept very well that night.

The 22nd we walked around Munich in the rain. We were planning on going to Oktoberfest, but we weren’t in the mood for it in the rain. We did get to see St. Paul’s Church and more of Munich, which was pretty cool.

On the 23rd, I woke up and was not feeling well at all. I took some ibuprofen, hoping it would help, and it eventually did. We headed over to Oktoberfest, and I can’t even begin to describe it. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Sure, I’ve been to Oktoberfest back home, but American Oktoberfest is nothing compared to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. There was beer and food everywhere. There were carnival games and rides everywhere. The tents were packed and loud. Everyone needs to go to Oktoberfest in Munich at least once in their life. It’ll be the best party you ever attend.

Our time in Munich came to an end on the 24th. We left Munich to go to Leipzig. We got to Leipzig and walked around for a bit. We didn’t really do anything until the 25th. The 25th is when we went out and really explored. We went to the Stasi Museum and St. Thomas Church, where Johann Sebastian Bach is buried. Both were really awesome to see. The Stasi Museum is a small but fascinating museum, and the church is magnificent.

The 26th, we made our way to Berlin. We stayed outside the city center and it was nice. I managed to find a small Irish pub down the street called Molly Malone’s. We had an awesome time there. We found out the one bartender was from South Carolina, and the other lived in Chicago for a bit. We also got to witness a group of school kids sing karaoke. That was quite entertaining to see.

We spent most of the 27th in Berlin. We walked all over the place. We saw the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, and we went to Checkpoint Charlie. While at Checkpoint Charlie, we went to the little museum that was next to it. We also touched part of the Berlin Wall. I always get excited when I can see and touch a part of history. It comes with being a major history geek.

The following day, we left Berlin and headed for our last stop: Frankfurt. Upon arriving in Frankfurt, I wasn’t impressed. It didn’t look that great. I was proven wrong shortly after. The 29th we really explored Frankfurt. We started walking and we stumbled upon the Old Town. That little area alone made the trip to Frankfurt worth it. Just past the Old Town, we went to St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral. We walked inside and I was in awe. The Cathedral is beautiful and definitely worth checking out.

Inside the Cathedral, they had a little board with some history of the area. It explained how the Old Town and part of the Cathedral we destroyed during World War II. Looking at it now, you’d never be able to tell. After visiting the Cathedral, we walked across a bridge going over the Main River and we walked down the river for a bit. While on the bridge, I saw the wind blow someone’s hat off their head and into the river. They tried to get it before it went into the river, but they were too late.

After our short time in Frankfurt, it was the night of the 29th, and it was time to get ready to go home. We had one last drink at the hotel bar and went to bed so we could catch our flight at 08:30 on the 30th.

In the short time we were there, we walked and saw a lot. Germany has an interesting history, and one many people are aware of. But during my time there, I never once felt out of place. I never once felt like anyone was mean or rude to me. Germany is a beautiful place to visit. While I only saw a fraction of what Germany has to offer, I would go back in a heartbeat.

Repeating a First Experience

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. Not for any particular reason, either. It just popped into my head. There have been a few TV shows and movies I wish I could see again for the first time. Even albums I wish I could hear again for the first time. Things that just hit different when I first experienced them.

What are these things I wish to experience again for the first time? In terms of music, the album Endless Forms Most Beautiful by Nightwish. I have been a fan of Nightwish for years, and that album absolutely blew me away the first time I heard it. To this day, that album holds a special place in my heart as being one of the only albums to truly leave me speechless.

There are three TV shows I wish I could see again for the first time. They are Daredevil, The Punisher, and Vikings. Daredevil and The Punisher were everything I wanted them to be and more. I was so upset when they were canceled, but I have a new hope with Daredevil: Born Again being made by Disney. I also loved every bit of Vikings. It’s true, after Ragnar died, it lost something, but I also feel they did a great job carrying the show on without him. Bjorn was a very worthy successor to Ragnar.

As for the movies I wish I could watch again for the first time? A few circled around in my head. I don’t necessarily want to see the entire movie again, but the Darth Vader hallway scene from Rogue One is something I wish I could see again for the first time. I remember seeing that for the first time and being both excited and terrified at the same time. It was such an amazing feeling.

But the only movie I wish I could see again for the first time is Avengers: Endgame. It had so much buildup and years of waiting behind it. Endgame also had so many special and memorable moments that I’d love to witness again for the first time. It wasn’t a perfect movie, but I really did enjoy watching it. I’ll never forget the giddy feeling I got when I realized that Cap could actually lift the hammer. Nothing but pure joy.

The Possibility of Tattoos

What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. I’ve known for some time that I want to get some tattoos. How many? I would like to cover both of my arms with tattoos. I just haven’t yet because I don’t know what I want, it costs money, and I’m not really a fan of needles.

A couple of years ago, I wanted my left arm to be covered in different kinds of tattoos from Norse Mythology. Then, it became any kind of mythology. Now, I kind of want it covered in band logos and symbols. From the start, I’ve always wanted my right arm covered in comic book stuff. That’s never changed and probably won’t. I love comic books, the characters, and the art. And while I do like Marvel so much more than DC, I wouldn’t say no to a Batman tattoo.

I just think it’s more reasonable to cover my left arm in things from the bands I like. There are so many bands that have had an influence on me, and I’d like to honor that in some way. Music will always be a part of my life, and it just makes sense to wear that as a part of me.

I’m swear I’m so indecisive at times, but at the end of the day, I know I either want something Architects (band) related or Mjolnir. Where would I get it? On my left forearm, above my watch. Architects are a band that I found when I needed them the most. They’ve had a bigger impact on me than any other band. And why Mjolnir? Because it’ll be a reminder that no matter what happens or how I might feel, I’m still worthy.

If I Could Change My Past, Would I?

What advice would you give to your teenage self?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been wondering about what I would do if I had a time machine and could go back in time. It’s quite an interesting question to give yourself. Would you tell yourself what’s coming? Would you not tell yourself, knowing that what’s coming could be good or bad? Would you go back at all?

I’m 31, and while I’m not exactly old, I’ve lived a bit. I’ve done things I’m proud of, I’ve done things I’m not proud of. I’ve done things I’d love to relive, I’ve done things I’d wish to forget. I’ve had my regrets. I’ve overcome those regrets. I’ve lived my life, and I’ve played it safe.

So, if I had a time machine, would I go back in time? The short answer: yes.

What advice would I give myself? That’s a hard question to answer. I don’t think there’s any one answer to that question. I wouldn’t tell myself everything to come. That would ruin the fun. But if I could say only one thing, it would be this, “While life may be difficult and it might suck, it will always get better. The rough times don’t last, and the good memories will always outweigh the bad.”

I wouldn’t change my past or try to warn myself of what’s to come. The reason I am who I am is because of the life I’ve lived. And as much as I’d like to live a different life, I don’t think I ever could. To live a different life would mean that I’m no longer me. I’d be a variation of me.

I’m proud of who I am and what I’ve done to get here. Life isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. As long as we make the best of the time we have, that’s something to be proud of. Nothing will ever be truly perfect, but we can make moments perfect for a short time.

Pain Remains, But Music Helps

I’m a bit late to the party on this one. For the last few months, I’ve known of a band called Lorna Shore. I also knew they were deathcore, a genre of metal I couldn’t listen to. It was way too extreme for me. I first heard Lorna Shore in a TikTok video. I thought it was a video about Call of Duty zombie, but I found out that it was just the end of the song “To the Hellfire.”

Fast forward a bit. I still refused to listen to them, but that all changed in the blink of an eye. They released a song called “Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames.” And yes, it was very much a deathcore song. What’s interesting is that it quickly became one of my favorite songs.

Eventually, they released the other two parts (“Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear” and “Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire”). I listened to both, and I was hooked. The album, Pain Remains, came out in October, and I listened to it from start to finish. I’m not saying I’m a deathcore fan now, but that album was truly something special. It was definitely something I needed at that time.

It’s true, I can’t understand what’s being sung because of the screaming deathcore vocals, but I can read lyrics. And the lyrics are incredible. Mix that with some insane drumming and fantastic guitar work, and you have a killer album.

Pain Remains found me. I didn’t find it. It started on TikTok when I was scrolling. It was almost as if I needed to listen to Lorna Shore and that album specifically. I truly believe that I found it when I did because I needed to. It’s a very emotional album, and at the time, I needed an album like that. That album spoke to me in a way no album before it has.

I still listen to it along with their EP …And I Return to Nothingness. It was a combination of Pain Remains and the addition of Will Ramos (who I didn’t know at all before he joined Lorna Shore), which really brought me into listening to Lorna Shore.

As a result, I want to see them live. They are playing with Mastodon and Gojira this year, and that’s a show I really want to go see. I’ve seen both Mastodon and Gojira once already, and I’d love to see them again.