I went to Paris, with one of my best friends to see one of our favourite bands, 30 Seconds to Mars. I've seen them before, in Bournemouth, but as you can imagine, a large stadium in the rough area of Paris is very different from an OAP-infested town on the South Coast. It was like the difference between this and this. One up close, but small venues do suffer from lack of money/ability to put on the amazing shows, and one epic show, but thousands of people stood between us and them... The one thing I do love, is that I have seen both sides of this band, and they do both excellently.
Paris is stunning. I don't care what anyone says about the French people or the dog poo, I loved every inch of this city, even when we were scrambling across an un-built road trying to follow our Jared-senses. The museums, the history, the stunning old buildings, the churches, the Notre Dame, the myths and legends that this city holds, the amount of fame and fortune based solely on the image of the Eiffel Tower, the power and the presence of the capital city... Nothing can compare to the feeling of seeing something you've seen a billion times, but this time you can physically reach out and touch it. The engulfing sense of how tiny you are as you stare wide-eyed at the city from the top of the emblem of the city, and you know that you haven't made the slightest difference to this city in being here, but you feel part of it still. You're in the moment, and in any second something massive could happen, and you would have been part of it. For me, that massive thing is just living. Breathing in everything that life offers you, taking those chances, risking, loving, and just enjoying the blessings and brushing off the curses. Life is not worth worrying about. Standing in a room of probably 10,000 people, knowing that every single person was there to watch one man sing (lets face it, as pretty as Shannon is, the focus is all on the younger brother) I felt a moment being made. I know that in years to come, I will reminisce with Milli about that awesome weekend in Paris we had. I won't think 'Oh god, I spent too much money' or 'what a shame we didn't go to that museum, or that building' - those four days will live as perfect gems in my memory.
I can't describe the way that one song, or one picture makes me feel, because emotions are totally unique. I hear From Yesterday and I get a tingle, every time, but I couldn't pinpoint why. When I look at the pictures of a night out, everyone may be smiling, but I know we were all having a terrible time; equally, the pictures may be blurry, unflattering and plain weird, but I know how amazing the night was so I don't see the faults, I remember the joy and the love.
Carpe Noctem, instead of Carpe Diem - Seize the night. The day is for working, for earning money, for going to the gym and for putting on your smile. The night is dark and mysterious, and you can be whatever you want to be because of it.