Tuesday, May 12, 2009

so let me say before we part...

but because i knew you, i have been changed...
for good.
-stephen schwartz

i will never forget walking down from 85 park drive-- my first apartment-- and up boylston st back to berklee, my random adventures to the prudential center to kill time in between classes, the inspiration i gained watching awesome shows at the BPC, trotting down newbury street shopping without checking my balance in my account beforehand, bringing people to bodega (thinking its a convenience store) and johnny cupcakes (thinking its a bakery) for their first time, band rehearsals with my very own "band", going to domino's at 2:45AM just before it closes at 3, knowing when the Red Sox lost because of the expression on everyone's face as they walk in crowds going opposite of fenway, taking the T (subway/train) and holding in laughter as i see someone who's about to throw up on the stranger next to them because they're so wasted, falling and tripping in the T as i try to play it off even though everyone saw me while they don't offer to help me up, the first college dance i've been to-- "Snowball" (crazy times), donna's background vocals class, staying in classrooms jammin till 1:30AM or until the security kicks us out, eating at mcdonalds or wendys for days at a time because they're the only cheap food places around berklee, playing piano at st cecilia's and feeling the music in a totally different way than normal, being in the Bob Marley Ensemble with one of my best friends carly, waking up and looking at my phone seeing that i've missed my hip hop writing and production class for the 3rd time in a row, walking around in a LA Lakers hat and hearing a random voice say "F*** LA!", getting my haircut at Floyd's Barbershop next to the nasty chinese food place Nan Ling that everyone only eats at cuz its open till 3AM, going to Shaw's in the middle of the night, bugging andrew to sleepover at his place cuz me, kris, and angel are too lazy to walk home, making my first snow angels in my first northeastern winter, singing backups for singers night, trying out and getting called back and learning from failure, my teachers, blogTV sessions from berklee classrooms and/or andrew's apt, walking around northeastern's campus wishing that berklee had one, dance parties in the berklee classrooms (CLUB 208!), the library that had every music book ever printed, the heartwarming welcome cecily and jess gave me when i didn't have a place to stay, my roomates dwight/kels and pablo and our interesting and random moments, the musicians that have made me wanna practice the minute i was out of their presence, going outside during a full moon eating a banana for good luck, crossing the street that seemed to always have cars on it therefore having to run every single time, visitors who i brought around Boston to explore as i was doing as well, being with my family in a hotel all weekend, helping people with their MUSIC homework opposed to math and science and things like this, the first trip i made in boston to the aquarium, my last jam session with Ahmir at BU in the stairwell, seeing john mayer on the streets of boston-- and i will never forget the people that i have met during my stay here that will hold places in my heart until the end of time.

you kicked snow in my hi-tops, you blasted rain in my face at 20mph, you caught me outside without a jacket during a storm, you made me look at nature differently, you gave me fresh air and endless sky, you gave me the freedom to walk your streets with nothing but music on my mind, and you have made me a better person. i will miss you, Boston.

plane leaves at 6:40PM from Logan Airport. oh how i hate goodbyes. lets make this "goodbye" a "see ya later" k?
goin' home.
AJ

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

welcome back, aj.




cali's been missing you more than you know.

Unknown said...

Boston seems like a wonderful place :D I hope you enjoyed your Berklee experience. All of this has brought you another step closer to achieving your goals.
Hope you have a safe fight!
<3 Cheryl

Anonymous said...

"I don't want to say goodbye to you, so I'll say goodnight to you ."- by idk who . :P

photojenick said...

your blog seriously makes me want to visit Boston.
I'm super glad you are coming back to Cali, though! (:

I enjoyed reading every word of your blog(= some parts made me smile and some made me feel like i was there... although i was never there to experience any of this. but i'm glad you had a life-changing experience there :D

<3

a n g e l said...

i can add a hundred more crazy memories but this entry already made me sad enough. i'm just glad that you have a big heart to fit everyone [hah im lame]. & i'm happy that you got the most you could out of boston.
love ya &
see ya later<3

Loris S. said...

You've accomplished so much in your ONE year at Berklee. Proud of you, forsure! I feel like this is only the beginning of everything, though. Nahmean? Like there's so much more in store for you. Exciting stuff! Can't wait to see you back here in Cali. :)

It's Brittney, Betch. said...

Wow...I don't think I can take this.

Ruth Vi said...

aw, i am dissapointed that i couldnt have seen your boston shows. but i'm moving to Los Angeles in August, so maybe then.

Ya know they say you have to drop out of Berklee to be successful lol :) best of luck!

Mayrilene Jay said...

Love is no distance, baby. To say the least, you have another home to go back to next time :)

Love the vid you did about Boston, btw! :P i cannot believe a year has pass.

gavionniere said...

ohh mygahhh take me to bodega!

da sorianos said...

our heart hurts for you but also glad that you're following your heart. berklee and boston will always be there in case you want to return. go and fulfill your destiny, AJ RAFAEL ... we will follow and support you always ... da sorianos

Anonymous said...

I'm sure ur leaving must be bittersweet and strange, but glad the experience will lead u to great things. good luck and hope u come back to the east coast again soon! nyc & Jersey too!

Anonymous said...

We will miss you too AJ!! haha you forgot about the scrabble game that was forever!! the beautiful umass hunnies singing to your songs!! until we meet again so i can challenge you to another walking race..

Good luck in Cali!! Thank you for sharing your music with us. :)

FYI me and ally want to send you something.

Anonymous said...

Awww aj. I'm sure every1 will miss youu. Nd i'm sure you've made boston a better place haha. Good luck in getting home. well your alredi home now so hope u arrived safely!! Love youu!

deleted. said...

Dang Aj..I want to go to Boston now, seems like you've made lots of great memories there.

now that you'll be on the west coast I can catch some shows(:

good luck with everything in the future <3

Anonymous said...

Goodluck to your career pare!
wish i couldve seen your shows here in BOSTON...

so anyway..dude...thanks for inspiring a lot of people
esp. me....hehehe

hope that you'd visit boston someday...you've been here and you know how nice it was..

so thank you very much AJ!

take care
and
Godbless!

-denniel rivera

sophianerarie said...

I wish you good luck on chasing your dreams! I'm sure you made the right decision! I trust every step you take.
Enjoyed every word of your blog! youre the best!
sophie

Anonymous said...

Seems like you had a wonderful time there at Boston. Thanks for sharing it with us through blogs on here, broadcasts on blogtv, and songs you have written on YouTube. I hope your stay in Boston has helped you in your journey of finding out where you want to be later on in life.

Lots and love and support always from SD <3

AmmyBabyx3 said...

Dang, that's deep.

Anonymous said...

wow its 6:41 ]: i'm so glad that i got to meet you aj, even if it was on a shuttle bus to umass boston. good luck with everything that you do; you deserve the best !

- Vickie (from the bus crew haha)

Karen said...

you're experienced so much in such a short period of time. amazing. :)

Anonymous said...

I wished i coulda seen your shows in Boston. best of luck to you in Cali. Sometime in the future you'll be back, and ill be at your show. most definitely. good luck. ill miss you.

Cayle said...

Memories that you will remember forever. Glad your flight was safe. [=





x3 Cayle

Monika Grzegorzewska said...

I watch you on You Tube for one year and... All I can say is that I wish you good luck.


god bless ya, AJ.

Jerome L said...

nice aj....it was cool seeing you today at UCR...visit more often

Anonymous said...

Hi AJ, hope you're enjoying yourself back in CA. I wanted to share a video with you that my friend showed me. Don't know if you've seen it yet or not.

Chicken a la carte
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONqWbFlxVwE
It's a short film about hunger and poverty. It's based in the PI. I was really moved. I wanted to show you the video because I was hoping that you could spread awareness? .. (since you could probably get the word around better than i'd be able to..) Thanks! God bless.

<3annie

Unknown said...

i miss nan ling's general gao. fried chicken goodness.

sarah chong said...

hey aj, i met you at ucla the other day when kina grannis was performing-- i was the one with the polaroid. wanted to let you know that it's been amazing watching your music change and transform from california to boston and now back to california again. i remember reading your entries about when you first entered berklee and look how much has changed! haha, anyway, wanted to say thanks for being so amiable in person as well (: