"JARED HAS LEFT THE BUILDING"
31.7.2011
Probably literally about 1 minute after we’d joined the small gathering of people waiting to say goodbye to the boys as they left, Tomo and Shannon came through the doors. Tomo jumped straight in the car without looking or speaking to us while Shannon, who was walking behind him, stopped quickly as he was getting in the car, gave us a quick goodbye and a little wave. The car then drove off and another black car pulled up. About a minute passed before Jared came outside, carrying a long cardboard tube. Maybe he’d taken a couple of event posters for his personal collection? Jared wandered out in no rush and started saying hello to everyone waiting. He thanked us for coming before turning and facing the side opposite me and chatting to them for a minute.
He turned and walked a few steps down toward his car before turning our direction and talking once again thanking us for coming. Then mid sentence, he looked right at me… ‘Hey! You again” he said whilst lifting up his cardboard tube to point to me. “I’m always around” I said kind of laughing to myself. He then shouted out to the roadies who were behind us moving stuff and loading stuff into a truck. “Hey you missed out on the mango stuff dude” he said. His attention came back to us and he thanked us again before getting into the car.
As he shut the door, he pulled the window curtain closed and I thought to myself “well that was rude!” even though I laughed. He sat there and opened the curtain and closed the curtain quite a few times before sticking his tongue out and pulling a crazy face on the last couple of ‘opens’ before driving off. Ahh Jared, always the comedian!
I yelled out “Bye Jared” just as the car pulled away and Mars were once again, sadly, out of my life.
I have to admit though… I didn’t feel sad at this point like I was sure I would. I actually thought I would be CRUSHED when these two shows were over but I was too happy and still on a massive high from the show that I had no time to be upset.
It’s funny because I had no idea they would be leaving when they were and I had no intention of hanging around, it was just luck that Michela and I chose the path that led us into Mars’ gear area and then directly to where they would be leaving the venue. We got there literally a minute before the guys came out as well so I’m thanking the Mars Gods for that one last little moment with the guys.
As I sat in the cab on the way home I looked through my photos, in absolute awe of what I’d just experienced. The ride home felt like eternity. I was so desperate to grab the phone and talk to Katie (my BFF in Perth) and just blurt out everything that had happened. I had no computer since it had died a couple of hours before I left for the show so I couldn’t upload photos or anything which was killing me but I knew at least talking to her would be a help.
When she said ‘Hello’ I couldn’t talk. It was very different to the first couple of phone calls. This time it wasn’t a not being able to talk because I was crying, it was just that I was so happy and excited. As crazy as this is going to sound, I went into the bathroom, shut the door and jumped in the shower to try and enclose the noise. The reason? I was almost screaming with excitement and didn’t want to wake other people up. It WAS about 12:30am! I blurted out every detail I could remember and just told her that this had been the most incredible thing I’d ever seen. After I’d spoken to her, I got my phone and used the voice recorder, to try and make notes of everything so I didn’t forget before I could get home and write everything down. I think I ended up going to bed at about 4am because I couldn’t sleep due to over-excitement. I know I sound crazy but it’s impossible to explain what that night was like, what this whole experience was like!
Sometimes I feel sad to think how the few moments I’d experienced over the last week were the greatest times of my life and were such a huge, monumental thing to me, but that they were just one tiny grain of sand in Mars' whirlwind life. In a few days it would be the same thing for them again in another corner of the globe and these moments that meant so much to me would be long forgotten. I certainly don’t mean it in a bad or disrespectful way but it’s something I try desperately not to think about in fear of getting a little down.
For now, I’m back in Australia, back at work and eagerly awaiting my trip to America to see the guys again on what will be another fantastic Mars Journey I’m sure.
I don’t even know where I would START in Thanking Jared, Tomo and Shannon for creating something that could impact my life so massively and giving me something to find so much joy in. I honestly believe no matter how many words I write, there’s no way for them to fully understand it. I’m sure there are others who have felt this way out there which makes me smile. It is a combination of all the most incredible feelings and emotions you can imagine, all rolled into one big 2-3 hour ball and then handed to you on a platter.
I hope in some way that documenting all of this has brought a small glimmer of that feeling to each and every one of you who have read it and has somehow struck a chord deep down inside every Echelon’s heart.
Thankyou for being a part of this life-changing journey with me and I’ll be back VERY soon!