I'm back in Munich. It is a little bit sad to realize that my journey must end here but at the same time this is one of my favorite European cities.

I'm still traveling with George from New Jersey, he's a really cool dude and we're having a great time together. I just got done having an excellent time with George and Asher, a recent Ithaca graduate whom I met in the hostel. We all hiked over to a local restaurant and had a fantastic meal and a beer for 10 euro a piece. Not to shabby. From there we hurried back to the hostel just in time to catch the last half hour of happy hour. I however have chosen to defer from any heavy drinking. Ive had a half liter at the restaurant and two .3 liters at the bar. So that leaves me a little bit buzzed. Just about right I suppose. I feel great. If one is to have a few beers, one should reach the state in which I feel. Any further from this would just leave me with a soaring headache and cotton mouth. However, I should not be too short winded here. The night is still young and my friends still at the pub. So perhaps we may meet up again and hit up the Haufbrauhaus.

Good times in Muncih though. This morning I finished up Victory by Joseph Conrad. A very fine book if I might say. Now, being the cheesy American that I am, have picked up the Adventures of Huck Finn and am searing through the pages of that fine read.

Well. I hope I do not bore you all too much with this musing and self reflection that I leave on these pages. I am all too unaware as I am writing this, that the whole wide world is capable of staring into my daily journal. Perhaps it would be more fun to read if I told of a tale of captivating women and fighting off a pack of wild skinheads. Much to my dismay, I am not that man. I am only James Michael DiBenedetto. And this trip has really led me to come to terms with that. I will never be Arnold; I cant dance; I am no Tom Cruise; there is no chance of me fighting off more than one ruffian; its quite funny really. But it is also so very true. Most of us, but not all of us, have pipe dreams of what we envision ourselves to be. Sure we may at times pretend to be these characters but is that really the same as devoting yourself to attaining there status. No. It is not by any means. And to get off this huge tangent I have thus far created; I am completely and wholly satisfied with not chasing around women that are not interested or friendly and I have not one intention of harming one hair on any other man's head. I am content with living peacefully, yet I am no pacifist. I will always be ready to fight someone if the time comes. Yet it is the fact that these characters that I idolize are in some way becoming a part of me. It would simply be folly to consider myself unaffected by the plethora of movies and books I indulge. I have decided that in order to be a pleasant person, one must simply not be competitive but instead content. Do not prowl the bars for a lay. Instead go out for a good time. Do not flex your muscles, instead use your wits.

Wow, what the hell am I even talking about. This is some heavy shit. Ya gotta love this bavarian beer.

Jimmy