Alone in Detroit: Being Independent

I needed to do something for myself.  I needed to prove that I was still independent, that I was still me. Because being independent is a bit part of being me. Probably to a fault, but having to rely on people to take me places, on top of all the changes and complications associated with moving aboard,  was starting to make me feel like the rug was being swept out from under my feet. I wasn't me, I was falling.  So against everyone's wishes (aside from my parents), I drove to Detroit by myself. They were probably right to be a little concerned. I had only driven a car in the US for a grand total of 30 minutes, but none the less, I hired a car and made the nearly 3 hour drive. Now I know Detroit has a bad reputation, and I wasn't taking that lightly. But I had done my research, I've traveled by myself before, and I just felt like this was something I needed to do. I had to believe that I could make this happen for myself.I went up to see a Lukas Graham concert, and they were pretty incredible actually. I don't have a great ear for these things, but they sound better live that the CD (though the US version of the album has always sounded a little over-produced to me). Lukas should just always sing live. All the time, every day.  His voice is melted chocolate.  I went through a period of going to concerts frequently but in recent years, I've fallen out of that. But being there, feeling the buzz and letting the music (and the whiskey) seep into my soul, was the best form of therapy.After the concert, I went outside and happened across a car dealership commercial being filmed; so I loitered in the artificially bright Detroit night watching a girl in high heels attempt to look graceful getting out of a low sports car (something I could never do). When they were finished, I wondered to a small bar right by the venue and sat down with my whiskey.  I was only there for a few minutes when this guy started talking to me; he wasn't hitting on me, he was an older guy who does sound for concerts, so he spends 8 months touring and 4 months sailing in Thailand. He was with a few guys and one of them just happened to be Lukas Graham.  I didn't know anyone in Detroit, let alone anyone in that tiny dive bar, but a bunch of us from different worlds collided there that night. Everyone was nice, nothing was serious.I bought the ticket for the show a while ago, and to be honest, I thought I'd be more settled into my new life in Cleveland by the time the concert came around. But in a way, it came at the right time. I'm not religious; sometimes I wobble around being spiritual, but ultimately decide that there's too much out there that humans can't comprehend and that kind of thing, if it does exist, is probably beyond us. However, sometimes things happen just when you need them too. Maybe it's the universe giving back or maybe it's completely by chance, but Detroit caught me right when I needed it. I was about to hit the ground hard but I found something there that showed me I could pick myself up.  In that night, I was content.  I was independent.