"For my 30th Birthday, I wanted to do something special either have a big party or go on a vacation. Plus, there are some people that I know that wanted to 'get me back' for the things that I have done to them when they turned 30. :) Well...I ended up taking a trip to Europe for 9+ days in the summer of 2003. Metallica just happened to be on tour in Europe at the same time (coincidence?). I followed Metallica around with a couple friends while traveling through Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy. After my very expensive trip, I realized how great it is to be American. Overall, I had a great time! Although, I don't ever see myself visiting Europe again." Click on a link (above) to read more about my adventures in Europe!	Total Miles Flown - 4300 miles Total Miles Driven - 3254 miles Total Amount of Tolls - $185+ Number of Metallica shows - 6 Number of Countries - 5 Number of Girls with armpit hair - Too many to count Total cost of trip - somewhere around $2,000 Total amount I owe Eric - A LOT! Click here to read Eric's story
#10 - Leaving my mark on the Berlin Wall #9 - The VIP section at the Rock Am Ring festival #8 - The Metallica show in Berlin #7 - German Beer #6 - Italian Women (sans armpit hair) #5 - Driving on the Autobahn #4 - Vatican/Sistine Chapel/St. Peter's #3 - The Eagle's Nest #2 - 3 Metallica club shows in Paris in one day And the #1 Best Thing About My Europe Trip ...I'm glad I'm back in the USA	#10 - Turning 30 #9 - The 14+ drive from Paris to Rome #8 - The total cost of the trip #7 - No ice in your drinks/no AC anywhere #6 - Water with carbonation #5 - $4.80/gallon of gasoline #4 - TOLLS! #3 - 51 Euro fine on the Rome subway #2 - Girls with armpit hair And the #1 Worst Thing About My Europe Trip ...Paris/Traffic in Paris/French People
"I think some of them are completely out of their heads. Don't you work? How do you get around here? But it's that rebel attitude...that free spirit thing that I love." "You talk about guys who follow Metallica around. I can totally relate to it because when I was 19, 20 or 22 or whatever...it filled a void in my life. And I think to what is it really about? It's about filling a void, isn't it?" "It's very real to them...very real. Metallica is a part of their lives. They let that become a part of them and take pride in it." "With Metallica, people truly feel a part of something. They feel part of a unit. They feel part of an army."   "They lived it...they breathed it...they slept it...METAL! And the kids did the exact same thing." (Brian Slagel, Metal Blade Records)   "Their fans are so hardcore. So into them. It's almost like a religion." (Lisa Millman, Publicist)   "...I said it before, and I'll say it again. They are not just a band. They are a religion!" (Jess w/ 94-WYSP Philadelphia)

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