I can die happy

Greetings one and all-
I have officially been to the most glorious place on earth, coincidentally called Monaco. I promise I didn't enjoy the place just because it's called Monaco. Stick with me on this blog, I think it's gonna be a long one.
A little background information on Monaco itself - it's a 'principality' meaning its government is run by a Prince (Albert, currently), its national language is French and is one of I believe 3 countries who have an established national religion: Catholicism. Monaco is about as big as Central Park (yet I have no clue how big Central Park is, but you get the idea maybe) and is inhabited by 30,000 people. The catch? Only 6,000 of said residents are actually citizens. Yes only 30% of the people who call their home 'Monaco' are actually allowed to vote or claim citizenship in the country. The rest fall to either France or Italy. That's another beauty of Monaco, it's located at the very southeast corner of France (near Menton) but is about a 10 minute drive from Ventimiglia, Italy. Most people in Monaco speak French primarily but all seem to know Italian fluently and very small amount of English. I traveled with my friend Abbey as she had a connection with a 75 year old woman that happened to be Monagasque (a citizen) by marriage. WOW! Her 2.5 million euro condo was just big enough to fit the three of us and overlooks the Cote d'Azur (blue coast - French Riviera). At night or on a clear day you can see both France and Italy from most points in Monaco. And the weather was beautiful. Check my facebook in the next coming days for pictures tagged of me in Monaco, and I'll be sure to bring some home on my jump drive.
Having gone to Monaco I realized it was the first time I've actually spent a significant amount of time with non-native English speakers since my time abroad. What a mistake that has been - I met the most interesting people I've ever encountered in my short time in Monaco and plan on going back in April. Not to mention two of the guys - Marco and Ben - are traveling Route 66 (something most Americans take for granted) in June and I've offered them a good time in St. Louis and Kansas if they so happen to want to stop there.
I've written in a notebook quite literally every detail of my trip to Monaco, but I don't think it would translate well without my verbal excitement, so here I will list a few highlights:
All free meals - I ate seafood for the first time, really, and it was fresh and delightful. And expensive (but free!!)
Everything in sight said my last name on it. Yes I have an ego.
I spent next to nothing there (hi mom and pa!)
Stole lemons from an old man's yard and he made us throw them back. Lemons?! This man makes upwards of 1,000,000/year and I can't steal two lemons?!
Got a private tour of the casino and held 500,000 euros in my hand. Daaaaamn!!
I wasn't allowed in to the Hotel de Paris restuarant because I was wearing sandals. Fuck.
Home cooked meal by two beautiful Frenchman. I now understand the romanticism of the French. It is real, mothereffers! I tell you, it's real.
The problem with Monaco is that it is an attempt at a utopia. There's no begging allowed, there are no poor people, crime is not published in the newspapers, etc. People there are not exposed to much. That's probably unfair to say, but where are the poor people? Visiting there made me realize how much I want to help. I want to take and I want to give back. There are people living the ritziest lifestyles in Monaco while more than half of the population questions their survival daily. It's time GIVE. Thank you, Monaco, for teaching me that.