Rome, NY will always have a special place in my heart. Even though I was only there for 3 days, it was 3 days that I will always remember. During that time I experienced a wide variety of things and was exposed to a wide variety of people and influences. Rome, NY was a completely different then any other place on earth for those 3 days. Once you walked though the main gates to the Griffis Air Force Base it was like there we’re no laws and everything that was “socially accepted” we’re no longer the norm. Public nudity was not frowned upon, but it was cheered for, people did not have to hide drug use, for where ever you looked there was someone using, selling or distributing drugs for free and amongst all of this there is the sound of live performances by some of today’s most well known musical acts, such as The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Offspring, Dave Matthews Band and even some acts to pass the generations like Willie Nelson and Elvis Costello. Upon reaching the complex you cannot miss the 10’ high wall, painted into a giant mural surrounding the entire grounds. The mural portrays everything in our generation from the Coco Cola Polar Bear to Austin Powers. And from generations past things as The Who’s Tommy and performers at the original Woodstock in 1969 like Crosby, Stills Nash and Young. As you walked though the main gates of complex the first thing you saw was a line of Porto potties over a mile long. Then as you walked past there you would come too the main camping area. This area was a wide open area full of freshly cut green grass with trees growing sporadically around in the area many times that of a regulation football field. Which would soon be nothing more then a giant sea of every color, shape and size of tent that you can imagine. And surrounding each tent was either some type of flag or descriptive emblem to allow you to find your tent later. After you have found...
