#1 - Help a Friend

So, here's the deal: I take my friendships seriously—my buddies are sacred to me. I'm always ready to ditch any so-called social priorities to help a friend in need. It's November 28, 2013, and I'm low on cash, plus there aren't many gigs around.

Then Lucignolo, this TV show on Italia Uno (italian TV show), reaches out to offer me a job. It's not really my thing—it never has been—and I've been turning down TV proposals for three years. But this time, I need the money. So I agree, under two conditions:

1. They pay me well.

2. They let me do my own thing.

They say yes, so I say yes. I pitch them my “Vivagip – Things to Do Before You Die” idea. I hand over a list of stuff I want to accomplish, my way, with the people I choose. They love it. Then they send me off on my first gig: Amsterdam, for the 28th Cannabis Cup. They cover my flight, hotel, a 250-euro “Judge Pass,” and meals, and they tell me, “Bring a friend as your cameraman.”

So I bring Miki along. But once we land in Amsterdam, I realize something: I never actually put “Visit the Amsterdam Cannabis Cup” on my bucket list. When we get back, the Lucignolo crew isn’t thrilled with the video I turned in, so they decide not to air it and cancel any future collaborations.

Suddenly, I’m broke again and out of work—but I walk away with a new experience and a good memory. And you know what? I’m happy.

Fuck you, Lucignolo.