So...Valencia, Spain.
It's probably one of my top 3 places on this little Eurotrip of mine.
I say the best things happen when you least expect it because I was never planning to go to Valencia at all.
But, Valencia was awesome and I'm glad I randomly decided to go there. Why was Valencia awesome? Well, it was amazingly clean, for one thing. I wasn't really expecting much when I got to Valencia...my only true reason for coming here at first was just to chill out on the beach and do absolutely nothing for 3 days, and let me tell you for the record that I accomplished that goal with complete grace. But, when I got on the Metro after leaving the airport, I was FLOORED by how well kept the subway is there. I mean, there was not a single piece of garbage anywhere...it was truly amazing. I am pretty ashamed of the NYC subway after my time in Valencia.
Ok, so I got to my hostel with a fair amount of ease and was pretty happy with my choice....this place was fabulous. Clean, colorful, and CHEAP. Yes. Finally. After Switzerland, my wallet desperately needed a break. (oh, by cheap I also mean for Europe, but that's not saying much since the American dollar is worthless right now.) I'm not really sure what it was about this place...maybe it was the bar or the close living quarters, but I think it had something to do with travelers who go off the beaten path a little bit.
My days were spent in complete relaxation at the beach, and I am now rocking an impressive caramel-colored tan. The first night in Valencia, all 7 of us slowly met and winded up talking the whole night, which was an absolute blast. It is always great to hear people's travel and life stories, and each of these wonderful girls had a unique and beautiful perspective on things. The second night, two more boys joined us and they were both very cool kids, so they added to the fun. After way too much Sangria, we all went out to some club by the beach which had no ceiling, so the entire thing was pretty much outdoors and it was ENORMOUS. We had a great time, danced the night away, and didn't go to bed until 6 a.m. (which is actually early for a night out in Valencia, but in my defense, it was a Monday).
On my last night there, my friend Pablo who is from Valencia (I met him back in Basel, Switzerland) gave me a driving tour of the entire city. It felt amaaaaazing to be driving in a car instead of walking or taking public transport, so that made it fun all on its own! But, the other cool thing was getting a local's perspective on everything. Pablo took me to see the oldest bridge in Valencia, the major shopping areas, the old forts from when Valencia was attacked a long time ago, a church that is said to be part of the Holy Grail (how cool!), and...the "City of Arts & Sciences". Interestingly, the architect of this amazing complex (comprised of a museum, aquarium, and the largest IMAX theater in Europe), Santiago Calatrava, is also designing the World Trade Center Transportation Hub at Ground Zero, which I thought was so cool. Google him, this guy's work is incredible.
After a very cool tour of Valenica, Pablo and I went out for delicious tapas and had great conversations about our cultures and impressions of the U.S. (turns out he studied abroad at the University of Oklahoma! haha). We also talked about fashion and as I explained how sad I was not to have stilletos with me on this trip, he said, "Com on girl! Joo know every gal has sun room in da suitcase por anoder pair of chooz!" hahahha..... oh how true it is. I asked Pablo where he learned to speak English so well, and he said, "Eleven seasons of Friends, girl! Come on!" hahaha....I couldn't stop laughing. This guy was hilarious, and I was so glad that I met him and that he was kind enough to take me out on a tour in his hometown. Those are the kinds of people that make the world go 'round!
What I loved about Valencia was that it perfectly balanced old and new. The metro was so clean, and even the escalators were environmentally friendly! They were motion sensitive, so they only started when you were about to get on them. The City of Arts and Sciences displayed some of the best architecture in the world. The shopping there is amazing, with stores that are cleaner and much more impressive than the ones I've seen back in many other places I visited. But at the same time, Valencia has successfully retained its culture by leaving old architecture, important historical buildings, churches, etc. intact. I loved this balance....it feels like a city that is so cool, but isn't pretentious or trying hard to be "cutting edge."
Even though I loved Valencia for the friendly locals, the beautiful architecture, and the cleanliness, I guess what I loved most about my trip here was how it opened me up to a lot of new thoughts and life lessons. For instance, when I was in the cab with Eric, one of the other guys we were sharing a cab with commented, " I reckon you only make about five true friends in your entire life." At first, I thought, " Well, doesn't that totally depend on the person? Some people get lucky and make a lot more than that. Others wind up feeling completely alone their whole lives." But then I remembered a conversation I had gotten into earlier that night with one of my new friends who was grieving over the recent death of her 25-year-old brother. I remembered the warmth of her tears as I wiped them off her face just a few hours before, and how she said to me, "Bereavement is something we all have to go through in life, no matter who we are. We each have to deal with the death of a loved one at some point in our lives." I realized that as many friends, family members, and significant others as we may have, we are still ultimately traveling alone on the journey of life. There are times when we are completely by ourselves- both physically and emotionally- in the world. At other points, we might be surrounded by friends and family but for whatever reason, we feel completely alone. We never know when the ones we choose to love will leave, intentionally or unintentionally.
While this seems like a sad reality, there is some sort of bittersweet comfort involved in knowing that we are all together in being alone. It is yet another reference point over which to bond with others...to make casual conversation, build a lasting love, bond with our families, or develop business relationships.
This isn't to say I think we always FEEL alone. For sure, I've realized that as much as it hurts my heart to imagine a life lived in complete solitude, it makes me smile to think about feeling complete affection towards another person when gazing into his or her eyes; the pure joy of looking into the eyes of a child you brought into the world; the satisfaction you get when you sit back after a great Sunday dinner with your entire family. These are, after all, the things in life we live for.
But the only thing more frightening than living without these comforts or blessings is the notion of going through life without self love. I guess as travelers, we are always in the act of searching- for answers, knowledge, adventure, new friends, or simply peace of mind. One of the greatest gifts I've received on this trip has been knowing from the observation of others that "The Journey Is The Reward". What makes it difficult to live a fulfilled life is that sometimes, we are so focused on the destination that we don't really enjoy the trip. To live like this is to live for a future that isn't guaranteed to us. The time to experience the best that life has to offer is right now. In this moment. Are you living your best life? If you aren't, what's stopping you? If you are sweet enough to actually be reading these emails thoroughly enough to have gotten this far in, then:
A.) I want you to know how much I appreciate you, and I do know who you are because you comment on my wall, you write back, you let me know how life is going. Thank you, because it really matters to me and hearing from you makes me sublimely happy.
and B.) Take a minute to soak life in right this second. Savor your breaths, the noises you hear, the people that surround you, the world that you can literally feel with your bare hands. Do this, because surely if you do...if you are unafraid to experience it with such intensity....you will see just how real and beautiful the journey itself is.
Another point of note from my time in Valencia was when I went into the water at the beach on my first day here. I was trying to stand perfectly still, but it was damn near impossible. As I watched myself getting pushed around by the waves that were rolling in and out, I realized that life is kind of like the ocean. Sometimes it's shallow, sometimes it's deep, and sometimes people walk in and out of it without permission. But the one constant is that it's always moving, and the only thing you can do is let it take you where it will. To resist life because you are trying to stay put is more likely to make you topple over than if you just roll with the tides that come your way.
Remember that life is too short to wait for something better to come along. It is too short not to love with all you have and all you are right now. And it is certainly too short not to do what you want, say how you feel, and live your very best life. So whatever your heart desires- travel, friendship, knowledge, a college degree, an internship, your own business, or just a new pair of heels...whatever. Go out and find a way to make it happen right now. If you are reading this e-mail, make no mistake about it- you have whatever it takes to make your dreams come true. Go. Do it with love. =)
Love life,
Melissa
Additional Valencia Observations:
1.) I am still honestly in shock at how pretty and clean it was.
2.) So many people here speak English, which was COMPLETELY unexpected considering Valencia is not really on every Europe traveler's "hit list".
3.) You can't get to the nice beaches by metro, only by car. Shocker.
4.) Renting a lounge chair at the beach makes a world of difference!
Trip Stats:
Days: 46
Roommates: 79
P & J Sandwiches: 32
Life Lesson: "You don't find love, love finds you." - Pablo
Jukebox: Mr. Brightside, The Killers
"Coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all"
Random Thought:
Me: "Woah. I think I just had a conversation with a local in Spanish. How the..."
Quotable:
" What you did Valencia, but next go where you"
...I should explain. I met some Italian gut at my hostel who didn't really speak English (but I was fascinated by him because he ate 3 entire bowls of pasta and a jug of Sangria on his own!), and he made me go to a computer with him so he could use an online translator to talk to me. Above was one of the English translations. Needless to say, the conversation didn't last too long, haha.
Overheard:
I am too intoxicated from the sun during this portion of my trip to remember any of what I overheard.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
We All Need A Little Neutrality In Our Lives
Grüazi from Neutral Territory!
I left off the last e-mail with Milan, and I think I got the point across that it was't exactly my favorite place on the trip thus far. The city apparently didn't want me to leave it on a good note either, as I missed my train for the first time in a month and a half. So, I sat in dirty Milano Centrale for 4 hours, read Italian magazines (yes, I am the only person silly enough to buy expensive magazines in a language I completely don't understand). When I finally got on the train to my next destination, Interlaken, Switzerland, I felt like a big cloud lifted over me as if God was saying, "you've served your time, you may enter into heaven now."
I'm not really exaggerating though in the sense that the beauty of Interlaken is probably quite comparable to that of heaven. I took a short nap and awoke in a few hours to the train passing through the most glorious, lush green mountains scattered with cute wooden houses and waterfalls cascading off of various rocks. My first thought was how crazy it was to feel like I entered a completely different world within a few short hours....but I guess that´s the beauty of Europe. I arrived in Interlaken and walked around the main town for a bit, which was so picturesque. Some places are built up by others but when you get there, you aren't that impressed. Others are built up by people and when you get there you say, "Ahhhhhh. I see what all the fuss was about." Interlaken was definitely in the latter category.
Several people told me before I went on this trip to brace myself because Switzerland would be expensive. I kind of brushed it off because I figured it couldn't be worse than the Euro, since the Swiss franc is about the same as the American dollar. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong. Everything here is about 2.5 times more than it would cost in the states. For instance, a typical meal at the McDonald's here costs an average of 14 American dollars (!!!!). Everything from grocery stores, to magazines and books, to clothing were INSANELY expensive. I'm fairly confident that in order to visit this town if you weren't staying at my hostel, you were a very, very wealthy businessperson (even in this tiny place, there were Rolex and Louis Vuitton shops).
When I was checking into the hostel, I started chatting with the girl next to me. She reminded me so much of one of my Fiji buddies from study abroad, Bre (miss you, girl) - very athletic, fun, easygoing. We winded up hanging out that night and met a bunch of other people. Two guys were from England and didn't even have money to stay at the hostel that night, so they winded up sleeping on the floor in one of the dorm rooms because they made friends with everyone and we were all conspiring to find a place for them to sleep indoors. I was talking to one of the guys who had been traveling for months and said sometimes he just sleeps on the streets for a few hours and walks around the rest of the time making friends. I'm not really sure what it was about him, but I really liked this dude. He didn't have much, but he wanted to travel and made it happen- despite perceived limitations, like, uh, cash. But, he was so outgoing, friendly, and happy. You know those people you meet who don't have a care in the world? They are just happy to be alive and take life in. It was really a great thing to meet him, as people's happiness tends to rub off on others =).
I also met a kid named Sal, and yes, just like the name implies, he was the VERY first Italian-American Neeew Yawka that I had met the entire trip. The first thing he said to be was, "Yeah, I'm from Mount Vernon- da Vern, da Vern!- and you know how itz done in dat big apple, ya kaweenz gurl." hahahaha....love it. Listening to that thick accent made me just glow the entire night...it's been a while, and I felt an odd comfort in hearing an accent of familiarity.
That first day in Interlaken I wasn't feeling too well, but I figured I was probably just tired from traveling all day. When I woke up the next morning with what felt like a tingle in my throat and a bit of a migraine. It was like being chained to the middle of a street as a truck is coming toward you...you know what's about to come and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it, which makes it worse. I promised my friend Alex (the girl I met at reception) that I would go hiking with her, but after a ridiculously intense 2.5 hour hike, I felt like crap. So, I took the tram down and went to the pharmacy, got some "Vita Juice", and sat on a bench for two hours. I was really sad that I didn't feel well, but I'm glad I did the hike anyway, because the views were absolutely amazing and I had great bonding time with Alex and her friend, Eric. Plus, I think it's pretty sweet that I can now say I've hiked the intense Swiss Alps while experiencing flu-like symptoms.
I spent the next day recovering, as I could not even walk without feeling like I was going to pass out....as Alex would say, "Weak sauce, man. Weak sauce." I started to feel better by dinnertime, so I pulled up a chair and asked a couple of girls if I could sit with them. We winded up talking for four hours about our trips, life in the states (they are both from Chicago!), work, and grad school. Katie and Kaitlin were both such amazingly sweet, down to earth girls and are even training for a half marathon in Switzerland next week! I left that conversation feeling refreshed and glad that I talked to them. You don't realize it until you travel alone for a while, but it's hit or miss when you make the effort to introduce yourselves to others. Sometimes, you meet people who are completely uninterested and close-minded. Other times, you wind up talking to people and leave the conversation feeling like you've known them forever. I got very lucky once again, as I have with all the amazing people I've met throughout this trip.
My final day in Interlaken was spent doing some 'baby hiking' as I like to call it. I was feeling a little better, but not by much. I walked a few hours along river Brienz, which is about 9 miles long and 1.5 miles wide...massive. That night, despite still feeling sick, I decided to go out with the girls to the club at the hostel (yes, there was a big club in the hostel that is so popular in this small town, even locals go there to party). I had my two-for-one happy hour Guinness and made friends with a guy who goes by the name "Spaz". What can I say? Life doesn't really get better than that. There was a Hawaiian party theme that night, and I leid probably the first and only Asian guy I will ever lei in my life, and he seemed real thankful to me for the lei...I guess they don't get leid very often in Korea? hahaha. I'm being silly, but seriously, I was SHOCKED by how many Korean and Japanese travelers there were throughout Switzerland..in my dorm room alone, 5 out of the 8 people were from South Korea...it was nuts!
That night, me, Katie, Kaitlin, Spaz, and the cooooolest most fun Korean dude ever danced until 3 a.m. to classy beats, such as "Like a Virgin," " Lean Back," "American Boy," and of course, a little Journey action was thrown in for good measure. I had a BLAST and figured that I would be paying for it greatly when I woke up the next morning feeling like crap, but I actually woke up feeling refreshed and ready for my next destination: Basel, Switzerland.
The plan was originally to meet my friend Lizzy from Dublin up in Copenhagen, but my body was telling me, "Melissa, if you travel all the way up there by train, I'm going to punch you in the face, and it will hurt." I realized that I was just going at too fast of a pace, and not really enjoying everything along the way. Considering I have only 17 days before I start work back home, I realized that I needed to rethink the rest of my trip so that I could slow it down and be rested when I got home. So sadly, I will not be getting to see Lizzy, which I was looking forward to the whole trip. But, the cool thing about Basel is that you can pretty much walk to both France and Germany from here in the same day.
During my three days in Basel, I got to explore the cute little town and took a day trip to Zurich, which was less than an hour away. Zurich and Basel were both really beautiful places. I dipped my feet in the Rhine, drank cappuccino on a bridge, had beers at 2 pm on a Sunday with my new friend, Alexis, and had a lot of time to relax and reflect.
I met a bunch of really cool people as well. One night I went out with two guys- one of which is in the Navy- and we talked about the intensity of Army-Navy football showdowns every year. Apparently, everyone from both colleges has to attend the games and stand almost the entire time..INTENSE. After a night of hanging out at a cool bar that used to be a factory and kind of resembled a small airplane hanger, I left with some new knowledge. 1.) Chimay, a Belgian beer, is one of my new favorite beers. 2.) I have a new found respect for Navy Seals. 3.) Don't get into politics with anyone who is involved in the military. Ever. Especially if you believe that war is bad. Like I do. haha
My last night in Switzerland, I hung out with Alexis and two new Spanish friends, Miguel and Pablo. I asked them, "Have you ever been to Valencia?" And they both looked at each other and laughed...." Only for 24 years." hahaha. Turns out they lived in the next place I was going to visit, and Pablo offered to show me around Valencia, Spain! What a small world.
To be honest, I thought I would like Switzerland a lot more than I did. It isn't that I hated my time there.....because let's be honest, after Milan, anything is better. But for some reason, I just felt out of sorts during my week there. I realized after my mood immediately perked up when I got to Valencia that people are a lot like countries. Each one has its own unique personality, and even within it, there are lots of different aspects and ways of thinking and living. If I was a country, I definitely would not be Switzerland. The places I visited there seemed mute, stern, unemotional, detached, and waaaay to pristine. If I had to choose, I'd have to go with Spain. The people here love to dance until 7 am, go to the beach, make a lot of noise when they talk, and welcome people with open arms. Plus, Rafael Nadal is from here. Yes, yes....I would be Spain =)
I´ve actually been in Valencia, Spain for 3 days, but I´m going to wait a little bit to write about it....I learned a lot here and it deserves it's own e-mail.
Switzerland Observations:
1.) People speak about 4 languages each here because it is such a hub for travel to other countries in Europe. I went to the store to buy a gift for my mom, and the woman said, "Danke, Merci, Grazie, A Bientot!" ...Yikes. I try to speak the language of every country I visit, but I didn't even bother here because everyone speaks a different variation of languages!
2.) Their grocery chain is called the Coop, but I kept calling it the Co-Op because of Hamilton, and every time I asked for the Co-Op, people were like, "What the heck are you talking about?" haha
3.) In Interlaken, I met about 5 or 6 Americans, which is more than in any other city I've been to thus far other than Dublin. I overheard one guy say "Narley, dude", and it made me smile a little =)
4.) I literally saw no litter in Switzerland. It is the cleanest place in the world.....it almost looks unlived in.
5.) It is also super duper quiet, especially in Basel. I was sitting down just watching everything and I realized that on a Monday afternoon when it should be pretty noisy, it was EERILY quiet. The people make no noise, the cars make no noise...even the TRAINS make no noise. It really freaks me out, actually.
6.) I thought it was so cool that I could walk to Germany and France in the same day from Basel. And I would have done it, except I wasn't sure if they'd let me cross the borders with all of the drugs.
.......JUST KIDDING =)
7.) I saw a Swiss Military dude eating a McFlurry with M & M's in his army uniform. I don't know why, but it made me laugh and reminded me of watching a NY cop with a gun on his waist and a Krispy Kreme in his hand...adds a little feminine touch, I guess? Next thing you know, they'll be baking cupcakes!
Trip Stats:
Days: 43
Roommates: 72
Life Lesson: " We are always making plans for our lives, and when they don't work out, we break. Remember, life is just a ride you have to take." - Alexis, new friend in Basel
Jukebox: Instead - Stacie Orrico
" A new point of view, a walk in your shoes
I wish I could get inside your head
To see what you see, when you look at me
'Cause I could have lived your life instead."
....Look up the rest of the lyrics. I can't think of a better way to describe my thoughts lately.
Random Thoughts:
At first, I was wishing there was a universal language. And no, not English. A REAL universal language that combines all world languages somehow. Just think about how many people we could communicate with...the mind share, the wisdom, the cultural understanding that would occur as a result of us being able to all speak with one another. But then I realized that language, in many ways, shapes our reality. If we all spoke the same language, would our realities become more similar, and thus, less interesting? Would be lose our culture and a part of our ancestry? I wonder what is more valuable....being unable to communicate with billions of others but keeping beautiful and interesting cultural differences intact....or vice versa?
Quotable:
After my friend from Interlaken, Alex, was making fun of me for my accent:
"Don't worry, I only make fun of the people I really like.......well, i guess I make fun of people I really don't like, too....but still!!!" hahaha
Overheard at the grocery store:
Some very buff looking dude picked up Weight Watchers orange juice and the two girls he was with were like, "What are you trying to lose weight or something?" He goes, " Uh, yes. Do you know how much chocolate we have been eating on this trip??!" lolol....just imagine a dude who looks like a football player saying this to his two skinny girl friends. Hilarious.
I left off the last e-mail with Milan, and I think I got the point across that it was't exactly my favorite place on the trip thus far. The city apparently didn't want me to leave it on a good note either, as I missed my train for the first time in a month and a half. So, I sat in dirty Milano Centrale for 4 hours, read Italian magazines (yes, I am the only person silly enough to buy expensive magazines in a language I completely don't understand). When I finally got on the train to my next destination, Interlaken, Switzerland, I felt like a big cloud lifted over me as if God was saying, "you've served your time, you may enter into heaven now."
I'm not really exaggerating though in the sense that the beauty of Interlaken is probably quite comparable to that of heaven. I took a short nap and awoke in a few hours to the train passing through the most glorious, lush green mountains scattered with cute wooden houses and waterfalls cascading off of various rocks. My first thought was how crazy it was to feel like I entered a completely different world within a few short hours....but I guess that´s the beauty of Europe. I arrived in Interlaken and walked around the main town for a bit, which was so picturesque. Some places are built up by others but when you get there, you aren't that impressed. Others are built up by people and when you get there you say, "Ahhhhhh. I see what all the fuss was about." Interlaken was definitely in the latter category.
Several people told me before I went on this trip to brace myself because Switzerland would be expensive. I kind of brushed it off because I figured it couldn't be worse than the Euro, since the Swiss franc is about the same as the American dollar. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong. Everything here is about 2.5 times more than it would cost in the states. For instance, a typical meal at the McDonald's here costs an average of 14 American dollars (!!!!). Everything from grocery stores, to magazines and books, to clothing were INSANELY expensive. I'm fairly confident that in order to visit this town if you weren't staying at my hostel, you were a very, very wealthy businessperson (even in this tiny place, there were Rolex and Louis Vuitton shops).
When I was checking into the hostel, I started chatting with the girl next to me. She reminded me so much of one of my Fiji buddies from study abroad, Bre (miss you, girl) - very athletic, fun, easygoing. We winded up hanging out that night and met a bunch of other people. Two guys were from England and didn't even have money to stay at the hostel that night, so they winded up sleeping on the floor in one of the dorm rooms because they made friends with everyone and we were all conspiring to find a place for them to sleep indoors. I was talking to one of the guys who had been traveling for months and said sometimes he just sleeps on the streets for a few hours and walks around the rest of the time making friends. I'm not really sure what it was about him, but I really liked this dude. He didn't have much, but he wanted to travel and made it happen- despite perceived limitations, like, uh, cash. But, he was so outgoing, friendly, and happy. You know those people you meet who don't have a care in the world? They are just happy to be alive and take life in. It was really a great thing to meet him, as people's happiness tends to rub off on others =).
I also met a kid named Sal, and yes, just like the name implies, he was the VERY first Italian-American Neeew Yawka that I had met the entire trip. The first thing he said to be was, "Yeah, I'm from Mount Vernon- da Vern, da Vern!- and you know how itz done in dat big apple, ya kaweenz gurl." hahahaha....love it. Listening to that thick accent made me just glow the entire night...it's been a while, and I felt an odd comfort in hearing an accent of familiarity.
That first day in Interlaken I wasn't feeling too well, but I figured I was probably just tired from traveling all day. When I woke up the next morning with what felt like a tingle in my throat and a bit of a migraine. It was like being chained to the middle of a street as a truck is coming toward you...you know what's about to come and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it, which makes it worse. I promised my friend Alex (the girl I met at reception) that I would go hiking with her, but after a ridiculously intense 2.5 hour hike, I felt like crap. So, I took the tram down and went to the pharmacy, got some "Vita Juice", and sat on a bench for two hours. I was really sad that I didn't feel well, but I'm glad I did the hike anyway, because the views were absolutely amazing and I had great bonding time with Alex and her friend, Eric. Plus, I think it's pretty sweet that I can now say I've hiked the intense Swiss Alps while experiencing flu-like symptoms.
I spent the next day recovering, as I could not even walk without feeling like I was going to pass out....as Alex would say, "Weak sauce, man. Weak sauce." I started to feel better by dinnertime, so I pulled up a chair and asked a couple of girls if I could sit with them. We winded up talking for four hours about our trips, life in the states (they are both from Chicago!), work, and grad school. Katie and Kaitlin were both such amazingly sweet, down to earth girls and are even training for a half marathon in Switzerland next week! I left that conversation feeling refreshed and glad that I talked to them. You don't realize it until you travel alone for a while, but it's hit or miss when you make the effort to introduce yourselves to others. Sometimes, you meet people who are completely uninterested and close-minded. Other times, you wind up talking to people and leave the conversation feeling like you've known them forever. I got very lucky once again, as I have with all the amazing people I've met throughout this trip.
My final day in Interlaken was spent doing some 'baby hiking' as I like to call it. I was feeling a little better, but not by much. I walked a few hours along river Brienz, which is about 9 miles long and 1.5 miles wide...massive. That night, despite still feeling sick, I decided to go out with the girls to the club at the hostel (yes, there was a big club in the hostel that is so popular in this small town, even locals go there to party). I had my two-for-one happy hour Guinness and made friends with a guy who goes by the name "Spaz". What can I say? Life doesn't really get better than that. There was a Hawaiian party theme that night, and I leid probably the first and only Asian guy I will ever lei in my life, and he seemed real thankful to me for the lei...I guess they don't get leid very often in Korea? hahaha. I'm being silly, but seriously, I was SHOCKED by how many Korean and Japanese travelers there were throughout Switzerland..in my dorm room alone, 5 out of the 8 people were from South Korea...it was nuts!
That night, me, Katie, Kaitlin, Spaz, and the cooooolest most fun Korean dude ever danced until 3 a.m. to classy beats, such as "Like a Virgin," " Lean Back," "American Boy," and of course, a little Journey action was thrown in for good measure. I had a BLAST and figured that I would be paying for it greatly when I woke up the next morning feeling like crap, but I actually woke up feeling refreshed and ready for my next destination: Basel, Switzerland.
The plan was originally to meet my friend Lizzy from Dublin up in Copenhagen, but my body was telling me, "Melissa, if you travel all the way up there by train, I'm going to punch you in the face, and it will hurt." I realized that I was just going at too fast of a pace, and not really enjoying everything along the way. Considering I have only 17 days before I start work back home, I realized that I needed to rethink the rest of my trip so that I could slow it down and be rested when I got home. So sadly, I will not be getting to see Lizzy, which I was looking forward to the whole trip. But, the cool thing about Basel is that you can pretty much walk to both France and Germany from here in the same day.
During my three days in Basel, I got to explore the cute little town and took a day trip to Zurich, which was less than an hour away. Zurich and Basel were both really beautiful places. I dipped my feet in the Rhine, drank cappuccino on a bridge, had beers at 2 pm on a Sunday with my new friend, Alexis, and had a lot of time to relax and reflect.
I met a bunch of really cool people as well. One night I went out with two guys- one of which is in the Navy- and we talked about the intensity of Army-Navy football showdowns every year. Apparently, everyone from both colleges has to attend the games and stand almost the entire time..INTENSE. After a night of hanging out at a cool bar that used to be a factory and kind of resembled a small airplane hanger, I left with some new knowledge. 1.) Chimay, a Belgian beer, is one of my new favorite beers. 2.) I have a new found respect for Navy Seals. 3.) Don't get into politics with anyone who is involved in the military. Ever. Especially if you believe that war is bad. Like I do. haha
My last night in Switzerland, I hung out with Alexis and two new Spanish friends, Miguel and Pablo. I asked them, "Have you ever been to Valencia?" And they both looked at each other and laughed...." Only for 24 years." hahaha. Turns out they lived in the next place I was going to visit, and Pablo offered to show me around Valencia, Spain! What a small world.
To be honest, I thought I would like Switzerland a lot more than I did. It isn't that I hated my time there.....because let's be honest, after Milan, anything is better. But for some reason, I just felt out of sorts during my week there. I realized after my mood immediately perked up when I got to Valencia that people are a lot like countries. Each one has its own unique personality, and even within it, there are lots of different aspects and ways of thinking and living. If I was a country, I definitely would not be Switzerland. The places I visited there seemed mute, stern, unemotional, detached, and waaaay to pristine. If I had to choose, I'd have to go with Spain. The people here love to dance until 7 am, go to the beach, make a lot of noise when they talk, and welcome people with open arms. Plus, Rafael Nadal is from here. Yes, yes....I would be Spain =)
I´ve actually been in Valencia, Spain for 3 days, but I´m going to wait a little bit to write about it....I learned a lot here and it deserves it's own e-mail.
Switzerland Observations:
1.) People speak about 4 languages each here because it is such a hub for travel to other countries in Europe. I went to the store to buy a gift for my mom, and the woman said, "Danke, Merci, Grazie, A Bientot!" ...Yikes. I try to speak the language of every country I visit, but I didn't even bother here because everyone speaks a different variation of languages!
2.) Their grocery chain is called the Coop, but I kept calling it the Co-Op because of Hamilton, and every time I asked for the Co-Op, people were like, "What the heck are you talking about?" haha
3.) In Interlaken, I met about 5 or 6 Americans, which is more than in any other city I've been to thus far other than Dublin. I overheard one guy say "Narley, dude", and it made me smile a little =)
4.) I literally saw no litter in Switzerland. It is the cleanest place in the world.....it almost looks unlived in.
5.) It is also super duper quiet, especially in Basel. I was sitting down just watching everything and I realized that on a Monday afternoon when it should be pretty noisy, it was EERILY quiet. The people make no noise, the cars make no noise...even the TRAINS make no noise. It really freaks me out, actually.
6.) I thought it was so cool that I could walk to Germany and France in the same day from Basel. And I would have done it, except I wasn't sure if they'd let me cross the borders with all of the drugs.
.......JUST KIDDING =)
7.) I saw a Swiss Military dude eating a McFlurry with M & M's in his army uniform. I don't know why, but it made me laugh and reminded me of watching a NY cop with a gun on his waist and a Krispy Kreme in his hand...adds a little feminine touch, I guess? Next thing you know, they'll be baking cupcakes!
Trip Stats:
Days: 43
Roommates: 72
Life Lesson: " We are always making plans for our lives, and when they don't work out, we break. Remember, life is just a ride you have to take." - Alexis, new friend in Basel
Jukebox: Instead - Stacie Orrico
" A new point of view, a walk in your shoes
I wish I could get inside your head
To see what you see, when you look at me
'Cause I could have lived your life instead."
....Look up the rest of the lyrics. I can't think of a better way to describe my thoughts lately.
Random Thoughts:
At first, I was wishing there was a universal language. And no, not English. A REAL universal language that combines all world languages somehow. Just think about how many people we could communicate with...the mind share, the wisdom, the cultural understanding that would occur as a result of us being able to all speak with one another. But then I realized that language, in many ways, shapes our reality. If we all spoke the same language, would our realities become more similar, and thus, less interesting? Would be lose our culture and a part of our ancestry? I wonder what is more valuable....being unable to communicate with billions of others but keeping beautiful and interesting cultural differences intact....or vice versa?
Quotable:
After my friend from Interlaken, Alex, was making fun of me for my accent:
"Don't worry, I only make fun of the people I really like.......well, i guess I make fun of people I really don't like, too....but still!!!" hahaha
Overheard at the grocery store:
Some very buff looking dude picked up Weight Watchers orange juice and the two girls he was with were like, "What are you trying to lose weight or something?" He goes, " Uh, yes. Do you know how much chocolate we have been eating on this trip??!" lolol....just imagine a dude who looks like a football player saying this to his two skinny girl friends. Hilarious.
Gorgeous Greece & Purgatory
I am extremely behind in my travel e-mails because at the last few places I was staying, internet was about 1 USD per 10 minutes....ridiculous. So, in this e-mail, I'm going to recap Greece and Milan (aka Purgatory- will explain momentarily), and then I'll send another one in a few days about Switzerland.
Ok....so after Sicily, Maddy and I flew to Athens and were ridiculously excited because we had been talking about this portion of our trip together for months. Though it was an exhausting travel day getting there, I bought a few magazines (the first English ones I've seen in a while!), and I kid you not that made everything a lot better. For those of you who understand my slight magazine obsession, you know about their power to turn my mood around. We arrived in sunny Greece excited and ready to take on the city, but we were both pretty exhausted. To make matters worse, the first hostel we went to was full, so they sent us to another hostel 25 minutes away. When we finally got settled in, we decided to walk around Monastiraki, a cute area in Athens with outdoor markets, lots of shopping, and great restaurants. We sat down at some local place and had- I kid you not- the most delicious Greek salad I have ever tasted in my entire life. I made a vow to eat two of those a day, and I kept my promise all the way through Greece....they were THAT good. As we sat down to digest after we finished, some woman came over with complimentary yogurt and honey (which was also a delight to the taste buds). Then, someone gave us a dozen fresh roses! So as you can tell, it was hard not to take a liking to this country right off the bat. =)
After a little sightseeing, Maddy and I got dolled up for a night out, but unlike at college, we did not have any speakers for music. So, we decided in our silly, usual fashion to listen to the same songs at the same time on our "headpods," as we call them. Trying to get our songs to play at the same time was a process in and of itself, but bobbing our heads to the same beat on our individual ipods was pretty priceless.
After a long night of wandering and making friends, Maddy and I winded up taking a tour of Athens on motorcycles (don't ask). And, we saw the most beautiful view of the entire city lit up at night, which will almost certainly be a highlight of this trip. I will also say that I've always been skeptical of motorcycles due to my mom scaring the crap out of me about how unsafe they are...but there is nothing that compares to the freedom you feel when you are on one of those things....I think I'm going to plan my midlife crisis ahead of time and save up for a Harley.
After getting home at 5:30 am, we slept for about 2 hours before we had to get up, check out, and roam Athens for the next 7 hours until we got on our boat for the Greek Islands. Maddy and I went to see the Parthenon on the Acropolis, and aside from me being dehydrated due to the crazy heat, we were both in awe of what we were seeing. I couldn't help but think about how many times I heard about the Parthenon from friends who had previously seen it on family vacations or while studying abroad. I was actually planning on studying in Athens if I didn't get into the Fiji program, and a part of me wondered how my life would have been different had I gone there instead. Not that we can ever answer these kinds of questions, but they are always interesting to think about.
The other thing I thought about while I was there was...."!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Yes, that was the thought. You sit there and look at this enormous structure on an even bigger hill, and you've gotta wonder about all the sweat, blood, and tears that probably went into building that thing. At first sight, it's just an old looking infrastructure that is falling apart a little more each day. But when I sat there and really thought about it, it was crazy to imagine how people built such a thing so long ago. I know I marveled at the Pantheon in Rome, but this was even bigger and higher up! How in the world did the Ancient Greeks pull that off? It probably took more than one generation to build, and I just found it amazing that those who started building it did so knowing that they wouldn't see the end result. They did it out of faith that the finished product would come, so long as they started to build it first. It just goes to show that the legendary things and people in life are not always recognized as such at the time they are alive or being built. This fact alone is probably a big part of why things and people become legends to begin with. Like the Acropolis, or the Pantheon, or people who get increasingly more famous after their death, it is the bittersweet reality that these things and individuals were not fully appreciated in their day that further contribute to how special they are now.
After a great day of seeing the sights, we got on the "Express" boat to Santorini. Let's just say that "express" was an understatement. This little vessel-that-could was chuggalugin along at a speed of about 70 mph more than I was comfortable with. Now, I will just have it be known that I never EVER get seasick, but I really was going to puke. The only reason I didn't was because I kept telling myself, "Don't be that girl, Melissa. DON'T BE THAT GIRL!" hahaha. We finally got to the island at 11 p.m., and from a distance, the lights of houses on the Caldera looked like stars huddled together in a barren, black sky....I knew I loved it before I even saw it...I practically smelled the love!
The woman we were staying with was supposed to pick us up at the port, but our boat was 2 hours late so I figured she wouldn't be there. Maddy and I got off the ship from hell and, disheveled and tired, we both cluelessly looked at each other thinking, "Now what?" There were at least 200 other people shuffling past us, all of them seeming so sure of where they were going as we stood there like lost puppies in the middle of the night. Then, all of a sudden, I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around to see a little Greek woman in her best English say,
" You look for someone?!" AHHHHHH! It was Stella, the hero of my life. How she knew who I was at the time, I have no idea. But, again, this is another reason why Greek people rock. I knew instantly that I would love this woman- take a second and just picture the sweetest, funniest, cutest lady ever.....did you picture it?......ok, now multiply that by 15,000 and you've got cute lil' Stella.
After a good night of rest, we woke up the next day and had the most beautiful 15K hike ever. We went up rocky hilltops, through several cute towns, stopped for frappes and a great view along the caldera (the picturesque buildings stacked on top of one another along a cliff), and ended in Oia to marvel at the incredible beauty of that magical island. We celebrated our great day with a night of dancing in the town of Fira, and we had an amazing time...definitely one of those nights that you never want to end.
The next and last day of the 'Maddy & Melissa Summer Chronicles' included a lazy day at a beautiful beach, our last Greek salad together (tear!), and a delicious final dinner that left us both overstuffed. We capped our trip off in true M & M style by going out dancing until 6 am. It was one of those nights that you can't really put in words why it was so much fun, but we laughed the whole way back to Stella's about it. Despite only sleeping for an hour, I saw Maddy off as she got on a boat back to Athens to catch her flight home and felt sad to see her go. I'm not really sure where the time went, but like all great things, it goes too fast when you don't want it to. Her and I were planning those two weeks together for a while, and it was weird that all of it was over already. It was like the end of the night on your 21st birthday- the hype that you built up for so long finally dissipates and all you are left with is great memories. That, and a hangover.
After Maddy left, I hopped on a ferry to Ios, Greece. In a nutshell, Ios is the Cancun of Europe. I didn't really believe it when people said it was a crazy party island, but...uh.....it wasn't a lie by any stretch of the imagination. During my couple of days there, I did not go to bed before 8 am, no exaggeration. I was staying at Far Out Beach Resort (anyone staying in Ios in the future should be at this place....3 pools, a 30 second walk to the beach, and an almost 100 percent crowd of 20-somethings all there to do one thing: P A R T Y.)
I stayed in a bungalow and realized that I only had one roommate, so again, I was hoping she was not psycho. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was a pink hair straightener on the table and though I hadn't met her yet, that alone made me love her already. She winded up being the best roommate I could ask for...a wonderful girl from Melbourne, Megan. Her and I spent the next 2 days partying, eating, relaxing by the pool, and making fun of each other's accents. By the way, I honestly wish I talked like an Ozzie because everything they say sounds cuter and happier (ex: instead of mosquitos they say "muzzies", haha). And I guess that makes me a New Yorkie... =)
One of the highlights was meeting another really nice Australian guy and as we tried to get a cab back to the beach club, he informed me that there were only 3 cabs on the entire island. As a girl from NYC, I couldn't quite wrap my head around how that statement could ever be true, but ohhh how true it was. After waiting for almost an hour, we decided to get gyros and hike back to the beach, and it was one of the funniest 40 minute walks of my life. We talked until about 8 am on the beach, and watching the sun come up by the ocean (first time ever in my life) was really amazing and left me speechless. I don't know what it is about sunsets, but they almost seem to smile at you and throw a brand new 24 hours of possibility your way each and every day.
I can't really express here how truly sad I felt to leave the Greek Islands. That week was the time of my life. Before I left Santorini, I jokingly asked Stella if she would let me move in with her and she said, " You want job? I find you something to do." It's a good thing I have work waiting for me back in New York, because if I didn't, I would be living in Greece right now and no one would see me for months. If you know me well, then you know I'm not kidding.
My next stop was supposed to be Cinque Terre, Italy (google it to see the beauty), but due to being mesmerised by Greece, I waited too long to book accommodation, and everything was full. So, I had to stay in Milan (aka Purgatory) for two nights until I got to my next destination. I just consider it to be my penance for planning poorly. I haven't really thought this at all on the trip, but Milan is one place I don't ever plan to return to again. It was dirty, unfriendly, sketchy, and even the so-called amazing fashion there didn't leave me in awe. Now that I've said this, watch me marry a dude who's family is from Milan. Shoot me now.
There were a few highlights though....
1.) Walking down the same streets where Versace and Gabanna got their start in the fashion industry....pretty amazing to be in the presence of that.
2.) I met a nice guy at a cafe who I swear I thought was Citizen Cope. Enough said.
3.) I was sitting at a park writing when this guy came over to me and asked me in Italian if I had a lighter. He looked shocked that I did not smoke, and proceeded to try and make conversation with me like somehow the more he talked in Italian the less it would confuse me. I just smiled and nodded, and about 5 minutes in, he pulls a lighter out of his pocket and all I did was point at it and say, "bugiardo!" (liar!). He looked ashamed about asking for a lighter when he had one the whole time. I was ROTFL (just hadda find a way to use that abbrev. at some point during this trip!).
I've had a lot of boat, plane, and train time to think about lessons learned during this portion of my trip, and there have been quite a few. I've written them all down, but a few stand out in my mind, so here goes:
- While in Santorini, Maddy and I got gyros at this place that was supposed to be the best in Greece. They were pretty good, but they didn't even compare to the gyro I had on a whim during the walk back to the beach club at 6 am with my new Aussie friend. I went back the next day just to make sure it wasn't my imagination...and yup, they were still 100 times better. The same thing happened in Florence with gelato....the place that everyone said was amazing was good, for sure....but it was still probably my least favorite gelato in all of Italy.
I know all this talk of gyros and gelatos seems pointless, but it really made me think about the building up of expectations. One of two things happen when something is over-hyped:
1.) You are disappointed by the over-hyped thing, primarily because others told you that you should expect something much more than you actually got. The gelato and gyro from those infamous places probably would have tasted better to me had people not made such a big deal of how great they were going to be.
2.) You pretend to love it, or genuinely think you do love it. Until one day, you stop past a little Gelateria or Gyro-eria and think to yourself that you'll deal with how bad the food or ice cream will probably be, only to realize after you take a bite that it's the best damn gyro or gelato you'll ever have in your life.
The lesson here?
..All that glitters isn't gold. And, seemingly hideous rocks wind up turning into beautiful, valuable gemstones.
Final "Melissa Has Too Much Time On Her Hands" thought....
Every single thing, person, place is a STRUCTURE- from corporations and cars, to flowers and feet. Every thing is made up of multiple parts, and each of those parts may be independently meaningless. For instance, what the hell can you do with chlorophyll or a tire alone? Not much. But, meaning is assigned to those things once they become part of a whole. Cars and plants are both important, but neither can exist without those independently meaningless things. As human beings, we often look at our own lives and wonder if, as individuals, we are meaningless and insignificant. But make no mistake about it- we are part of something much bigger, much more meaningful than our own temporary, personal existence.
To understand this concept takes knowledge...we can learn that. But to believe in it takes faith. This is the true challenge of living a life that appears at first glance to be systematic and finite, but is ultimately timeless and boundless when you look at who you are in the context of the much broader picture you as an individual are a part of.
Ok, I will continue with my Switzerland adventures in the next e-mail....thank goodness for the free internet I have at the place I am currently staying at. Hope all of you are having great summers and are rocking at life.....please send me a quick e-mail, let me know how ya are cuz I miss y'all!
Observations:
1. So far on my trip, I have met about 4 dozen Australians and Europeans, and about 6 Americans.
2. The only thing more nonexistent than Americans traveling abroad is people's positive impressions of them. To date, I have not met a single person who has said something initially positive about American people. This is a big problem, and I keep thinking about ways that we might, as a country, come to fix it. Thoughts to come in the final e-mail.
3. They give you your check along with your food in Greece, unless you are at a really nice restaurant. If the latter is true, they will wait until you ask for it.
4. Greek kind of sounds like Spanish!
5. Never put your palm up towards a Greek person- it is viewed as a very big insult.
6. Europen men in general are much more straighforward. The further south you go, the more honest and flirtatious they seem to become.
7. People in Greece eat dinner at around 10 pm, and the go out to party when most Americans (unless you are from NY, LA, or Miami) are going to sleep! When in Ios, some clubs didn't even OPEN until after 1 am!
8. Almost all of the Greeks I met spoke at least a littl ebit of English...very impressive.
9. If you are a girl and don't want to pay for drinks, go to Greece. Just go.
10. No one crosses at the corners in Greece or Italy- they cross in the middle of the street...weird!
11. The Medeterranian ocean turns my favorite color, cerulean blue, after a large boat has passed over it. It looks like the normally deep, navy blue ocean is smiling from the warmth of being touched my the boat's bottom. =)
Trip Stats:
Days: 37
Roommates: 59
Life Lesson:
" Let love make you free, let freedom be your guide." - Megan, Ios Roommate
Jukebox(es): " Days like these- I wish the sun wouldn't set, I don't wanna forget..."
Oceanwide, The Afters
Watching the Wheels, Matisyahu
Random Thoughts:
-Forget dudes, I just wanna dance. (modified Dane Cook ref., if ya don't know it learn it!)
- Just because people don't stare back doesn't mean they don't know youu're looking...
Quotable:
"Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong- even a stopped clock is right twice a day." - Paulo Coelho
Overheard:
From a woman looking at the Parthenon: " Wow, it looks so much higer up than it did yesterday!"
.......I guess she didn't get the message that little munchkins moved the Parthenon to higher ground in the middle of the night just to trick her!
Ok....so after Sicily, Maddy and I flew to Athens and were ridiculously excited because we had been talking about this portion of our trip together for months. Though it was an exhausting travel day getting there, I bought a few magazines (the first English ones I've seen in a while!), and I kid you not that made everything a lot better. For those of you who understand my slight magazine obsession, you know about their power to turn my mood around. We arrived in sunny Greece excited and ready to take on the city, but we were both pretty exhausted. To make matters worse, the first hostel we went to was full, so they sent us to another hostel 25 minutes away. When we finally got settled in, we decided to walk around Monastiraki, a cute area in Athens with outdoor markets, lots of shopping, and great restaurants. We sat down at some local place and had- I kid you not- the most delicious Greek salad I have ever tasted in my entire life. I made a vow to eat two of those a day, and I kept my promise all the way through Greece....they were THAT good. As we sat down to digest after we finished, some woman came over with complimentary yogurt and honey (which was also a delight to the taste buds). Then, someone gave us a dozen fresh roses! So as you can tell, it was hard not to take a liking to this country right off the bat. =)
After a little sightseeing, Maddy and I got dolled up for a night out, but unlike at college, we did not have any speakers for music. So, we decided in our silly, usual fashion to listen to the same songs at the same time on our "headpods," as we call them. Trying to get our songs to play at the same time was a process in and of itself, but bobbing our heads to the same beat on our individual ipods was pretty priceless.
After a long night of wandering and making friends, Maddy and I winded up taking a tour of Athens on motorcycles (don't ask). And, we saw the most beautiful view of the entire city lit up at night, which will almost certainly be a highlight of this trip. I will also say that I've always been skeptical of motorcycles due to my mom scaring the crap out of me about how unsafe they are...but there is nothing that compares to the freedom you feel when you are on one of those things....I think I'm going to plan my midlife crisis ahead of time and save up for a Harley.
After getting home at 5:30 am, we slept for about 2 hours before we had to get up, check out, and roam Athens for the next 7 hours until we got on our boat for the Greek Islands. Maddy and I went to see the Parthenon on the Acropolis, and aside from me being dehydrated due to the crazy heat, we were both in awe of what we were seeing. I couldn't help but think about how many times I heard about the Parthenon from friends who had previously seen it on family vacations or while studying abroad. I was actually planning on studying in Athens if I didn't get into the Fiji program, and a part of me wondered how my life would have been different had I gone there instead. Not that we can ever answer these kinds of questions, but they are always interesting to think about.
The other thing I thought about while I was there was...."!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Yes, that was the thought. You sit there and look at this enormous structure on an even bigger hill, and you've gotta wonder about all the sweat, blood, and tears that probably went into building that thing. At first sight, it's just an old looking infrastructure that is falling apart a little more each day. But when I sat there and really thought about it, it was crazy to imagine how people built such a thing so long ago. I know I marveled at the Pantheon in Rome, but this was even bigger and higher up! How in the world did the Ancient Greeks pull that off? It probably took more than one generation to build, and I just found it amazing that those who started building it did so knowing that they wouldn't see the end result. They did it out of faith that the finished product would come, so long as they started to build it first. It just goes to show that the legendary things and people in life are not always recognized as such at the time they are alive or being built. This fact alone is probably a big part of why things and people become legends to begin with. Like the Acropolis, or the Pantheon, or people who get increasingly more famous after their death, it is the bittersweet reality that these things and individuals were not fully appreciated in their day that further contribute to how special they are now.
After a great day of seeing the sights, we got on the "Express" boat to Santorini. Let's just say that "express" was an understatement. This little vessel-that-could was chuggalugin along at a speed of about 70 mph more than I was comfortable with. Now, I will just have it be known that I never EVER get seasick, but I really was going to puke. The only reason I didn't was because I kept telling myself, "Don't be that girl, Melissa. DON'T BE THAT GIRL!" hahaha. We finally got to the island at 11 p.m., and from a distance, the lights of houses on the Caldera looked like stars huddled together in a barren, black sky....I knew I loved it before I even saw it...I practically smelled the love!
The woman we were staying with was supposed to pick us up at the port, but our boat was 2 hours late so I figured she wouldn't be there. Maddy and I got off the ship from hell and, disheveled and tired, we both cluelessly looked at each other thinking, "Now what?" There were at least 200 other people shuffling past us, all of them seeming so sure of where they were going as we stood there like lost puppies in the middle of the night. Then, all of a sudden, I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around to see a little Greek woman in her best English say,
" You look for someone?!" AHHHHHH! It was Stella, the hero of my life. How she knew who I was at the time, I have no idea. But, again, this is another reason why Greek people rock. I knew instantly that I would love this woman- take a second and just picture the sweetest, funniest, cutest lady ever.....did you picture it?......ok, now multiply that by 15,000 and you've got cute lil' Stella.
After a good night of rest, we woke up the next day and had the most beautiful 15K hike ever. We went up rocky hilltops, through several cute towns, stopped for frappes and a great view along the caldera (the picturesque buildings stacked on top of one another along a cliff), and ended in Oia to marvel at the incredible beauty of that magical island. We celebrated our great day with a night of dancing in the town of Fira, and we had an amazing time...definitely one of those nights that you never want to end.
The next and last day of the 'Maddy & Melissa Summer Chronicles' included a lazy day at a beautiful beach, our last Greek salad together (tear!), and a delicious final dinner that left us both overstuffed. We capped our trip off in true M & M style by going out dancing until 6 am. It was one of those nights that you can't really put in words why it was so much fun, but we laughed the whole way back to Stella's about it. Despite only sleeping for an hour, I saw Maddy off as she got on a boat back to Athens to catch her flight home and felt sad to see her go. I'm not really sure where the time went, but like all great things, it goes too fast when you don't want it to. Her and I were planning those two weeks together for a while, and it was weird that all of it was over already. It was like the end of the night on your 21st birthday- the hype that you built up for so long finally dissipates and all you are left with is great memories. That, and a hangover.
After Maddy left, I hopped on a ferry to Ios, Greece. In a nutshell, Ios is the Cancun of Europe. I didn't really believe it when people said it was a crazy party island, but...uh.....it wasn't a lie by any stretch of the imagination. During my couple of days there, I did not go to bed before 8 am, no exaggeration. I was staying at Far Out Beach Resort (anyone staying in Ios in the future should be at this place....3 pools, a 30 second walk to the beach, and an almost 100 percent crowd of 20-somethings all there to do one thing: P A R T Y.)
I stayed in a bungalow and realized that I only had one roommate, so again, I was hoping she was not psycho. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was a pink hair straightener on the table and though I hadn't met her yet, that alone made me love her already. She winded up being the best roommate I could ask for...a wonderful girl from Melbourne, Megan. Her and I spent the next 2 days partying, eating, relaxing by the pool, and making fun of each other's accents. By the way, I honestly wish I talked like an Ozzie because everything they say sounds cuter and happier (ex: instead of mosquitos they say "muzzies", haha). And I guess that makes me a New Yorkie... =)
One of the highlights was meeting another really nice Australian guy and as we tried to get a cab back to the beach club, he informed me that there were only 3 cabs on the entire island. As a girl from NYC, I couldn't quite wrap my head around how that statement could ever be true, but ohhh how true it was. After waiting for almost an hour, we decided to get gyros and hike back to the beach, and it was one of the funniest 40 minute walks of my life. We talked until about 8 am on the beach, and watching the sun come up by the ocean (first time ever in my life) was really amazing and left me speechless. I don't know what it is about sunsets, but they almost seem to smile at you and throw a brand new 24 hours of possibility your way each and every day.
I can't really express here how truly sad I felt to leave the Greek Islands. That week was the time of my life. Before I left Santorini, I jokingly asked Stella if she would let me move in with her and she said, " You want job? I find you something to do." It's a good thing I have work waiting for me back in New York, because if I didn't, I would be living in Greece right now and no one would see me for months. If you know me well, then you know I'm not kidding.
My next stop was supposed to be Cinque Terre, Italy (google it to see the beauty), but due to being mesmerised by Greece, I waited too long to book accommodation, and everything was full. So, I had to stay in Milan (aka Purgatory) for two nights until I got to my next destination. I just consider it to be my penance for planning poorly. I haven't really thought this at all on the trip, but Milan is one place I don't ever plan to return to again. It was dirty, unfriendly, sketchy, and even the so-called amazing fashion there didn't leave me in awe. Now that I've said this, watch me marry a dude who's family is from Milan. Shoot me now.
There were a few highlights though....
1.) Walking down the same streets where Versace and Gabanna got their start in the fashion industry....pretty amazing to be in the presence of that.
2.) I met a nice guy at a cafe who I swear I thought was Citizen Cope. Enough said.
3.) I was sitting at a park writing when this guy came over to me and asked me in Italian if I had a lighter. He looked shocked that I did not smoke, and proceeded to try and make conversation with me like somehow the more he talked in Italian the less it would confuse me. I just smiled and nodded, and about 5 minutes in, he pulls a lighter out of his pocket and all I did was point at it and say, "bugiardo!" (liar!). He looked ashamed about asking for a lighter when he had one the whole time. I was ROTFL (just hadda find a way to use that abbrev. at some point during this trip!).
I've had a lot of boat, plane, and train time to think about lessons learned during this portion of my trip, and there have been quite a few. I've written them all down, but a few stand out in my mind, so here goes:
- While in Santorini, Maddy and I got gyros at this place that was supposed to be the best in Greece. They were pretty good, but they didn't even compare to the gyro I had on a whim during the walk back to the beach club at 6 am with my new Aussie friend. I went back the next day just to make sure it wasn't my imagination...and yup, they were still 100 times better. The same thing happened in Florence with gelato....the place that everyone said was amazing was good, for sure....but it was still probably my least favorite gelato in all of Italy.
I know all this talk of gyros and gelatos seems pointless, but it really made me think about the building up of expectations. One of two things happen when something is over-hyped:
1.) You are disappointed by the over-hyped thing, primarily because others told you that you should expect something much more than you actually got. The gelato and gyro from those infamous places probably would have tasted better to me had people not made such a big deal of how great they were going to be.
2.) You pretend to love it, or genuinely think you do love it. Until one day, you stop past a little Gelateria or Gyro-eria and think to yourself that you'll deal with how bad the food or ice cream will probably be, only to realize after you take a bite that it's the best damn gyro or gelato you'll ever have in your life.
The lesson here?
..All that glitters isn't gold. And, seemingly hideous rocks wind up turning into beautiful, valuable gemstones.
Final "Melissa Has Too Much Time On Her Hands" thought....
Every single thing, person, place is a STRUCTURE- from corporations and cars, to flowers and feet. Every thing is made up of multiple parts, and each of those parts may be independently meaningless. For instance, what the hell can you do with chlorophyll or a tire alone? Not much. But, meaning is assigned to those things once they become part of a whole. Cars and plants are both important, but neither can exist without those independently meaningless things. As human beings, we often look at our own lives and wonder if, as individuals, we are meaningless and insignificant. But make no mistake about it- we are part of something much bigger, much more meaningful than our own temporary, personal existence.
To understand this concept takes knowledge...we can learn that. But to believe in it takes faith. This is the true challenge of living a life that appears at first glance to be systematic and finite, but is ultimately timeless and boundless when you look at who you are in the context of the much broader picture you as an individual are a part of.
Ok, I will continue with my Switzerland adventures in the next e-mail....thank goodness for the free internet I have at the place I am currently staying at. Hope all of you are having great summers and are rocking at life.....please send me a quick e-mail, let me know how ya are cuz I miss y'all!
Observations:
1. So far on my trip, I have met about 4 dozen Australians and Europeans, and about 6 Americans.
2. The only thing more nonexistent than Americans traveling abroad is people's positive impressions of them. To date, I have not met a single person who has said something initially positive about American people. This is a big problem, and I keep thinking about ways that we might, as a country, come to fix it. Thoughts to come in the final e-mail.
3. They give you your check along with your food in Greece, unless you are at a really nice restaurant. If the latter is true, they will wait until you ask for it.
4. Greek kind of sounds like Spanish!
5. Never put your palm up towards a Greek person- it is viewed as a very big insult.
6. Europen men in general are much more straighforward. The further south you go, the more honest and flirtatious they seem to become.
7. People in Greece eat dinner at around 10 pm, and the go out to party when most Americans (unless you are from NY, LA, or Miami) are going to sleep! When in Ios, some clubs didn't even OPEN until after 1 am!
8. Almost all of the Greeks I met spoke at least a littl ebit of English...very impressive.
9. If you are a girl and don't want to pay for drinks, go to Greece. Just go.
10. No one crosses at the corners in Greece or Italy- they cross in the middle of the street...weird!
11. The Medeterranian ocean turns my favorite color, cerulean blue, after a large boat has passed over it. It looks like the normally deep, navy blue ocean is smiling from the warmth of being touched my the boat's bottom. =)
Trip Stats:
Days: 37
Roommates: 59
Life Lesson:
" Let love make you free, let freedom be your guide." - Megan, Ios Roommate
Jukebox(es): " Days like these- I wish the sun wouldn't set, I don't wanna forget..."
Oceanwide, The Afters
Watching the Wheels, Matisyahu
Random Thoughts:
-Forget dudes, I just wanna dance. (modified Dane Cook ref., if ya don't know it learn it!)
- Just because people don't stare back doesn't mean they don't know youu're looking...
Quotable:
"Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong- even a stopped clock is right twice a day." - Paulo Coelho
Overheard:
From a woman looking at the Parthenon: " Wow, it looks so much higer up than it did yesterday!"
.......I guess she didn't get the message that little munchkins moved the Parthenon to higher ground in the middle of the night just to trick her!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
La Bella Vita
Ciao my lovelies!
Wow- A TON has happened in the past week and a half, it's a little bit crazy. I'll try to make this email short (and by normal people standards, that means really really long, still).
First of all, happy belated birthday to my girl Matrika (love ya, Triks!), and an early birthday to one of my best friends in the world, Mikhail. Also, a very sincere and excited congratulations to Gina and Mikhail on the engagement. I am SOOOO excited for the both of you- I couldn't think of a better pair, and I feel honored and blessed to be part of your wedding next year. Love ya both so much!!!
When I left off the last e-mail, Maddy and I were getting ready to leave Florence for Rome. The night before we left, we went for a midnight stroll with a few new friends from New Zealand. Amidst all of the great food and beautiful sights, I completely forgot to ask a local for life advice! So I was a woman on a mission, and we headed to the Duomo to meet some locals. Unfortunately, Florence isn't one of those places where you can walk up to someone and expect them to speak a lot of English, soooo....getting advice was proving to be difficult. After a little bit of frustration- but also meeting people who I could tell wanted to understand me, one of my new NZ friends saw two guys riding a scooter and was like, "Hey! Do you speak English!?!" hahaha. They pulled over and said they did, so they gave me some life advice (so strange, but I was in a hurry for it), and both told me to "Work Hard, Party Hard" - that shouldn't be too much of a challenge!
We woke up early the next morning to go to Rome, and although we were exhausted when we got there, we walked around to take the sights in for about 6 or 7 hours anyway. We were greeted with a super sweet B & B, a day of sunshine, and some seriously delicious gelato! The phenomenal sights included: the gorgeous view from the Medici castle; the Spanish Steps; Trevi Fountain (awesome architecture); the place where Mussolini gave his speeches; and my absolute favorite...the Pantheon.
The Pantheon, meaning "Temple of all the gods," was built in Ancient Rome, then rebuilt around 125 A.D. Despite the attention that the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain receive, the Pantheon is actually the oldest structure in Rome to date. What is spectacular about this building is that the height to the oculus (circular opening at the top of the dome) and the diameter of the interior circle are EXACTLY the same (142 feet). It also weighs about 5,000 TONS; it is the largest unreinforced concrete dome. Everything about the building is absolutely perfect, and the really cool thing is that the oculus is wide open, so when it rains in Rome, it pours inside the Pantheon. It really took my breath away to see such a beautiful structure and to think that it was built thousands of years ago. You look at this piece of architectural perfection, and you've gotta wonder, "How in the hell did they do this with no cranes, large machines, etc?" It is so astounding that even architects today are in awe of how the Romans built it.
That night, we decided it was time to go out, so we put on our party dresses (with flip flops...no heels still, unfortunately), and attempted to get on a bus at 10 pm to the other side of town. While waiting for a bus, we heard the sound of American voices, which we hadn't heard in a while, so we turned around to make friends. But the minute I did, all I heard was one of the guys say to me, "Hey! I know you!" Turns out that I met him and the two girls he was with on the train from Nice to Florence four days earlier! So all 5 of us winded up walking around Rome the whole night, and we finished off at a place called "Campo," which is a big square filled with bars and cafes. The night winded up being a ridiculous amount of fun, and I was glad we made new friends.
When we woke up, we went to see the Colosseum and the ancient ruins, which were all spectacular and jaw-dropping. As we walked up to the ruins and stood there in awe, Maddy read the description of where and how Rome was founded, and I being the less mature of the two on this trip, slowly broke into an electric guitar impression and sang, "We built this city! We built this city on ROCK. AND. ROOOOLLLLLLL!" Yes, I am insane.
Although that day was great, it didn't even compare to our last day in Rome, when Maddy and I went to Vatican City. But before we did that, we attempted to mail a package back home at the Italian Post Office, and no one spoke English there. One really sweet Italian lady called her friend to translate what we needed. When we finally were set to go, the postman said (in broken English), "So you know, chance your package never go New York." Alllrighty then. Good confidence builder, really. That's like going into a REALLY expensive restaurant and the waiter telling you after your meal, "I hope you enjoyed it, but we are sorry in advance if you get food poisioning." What made it worse was that we also had to have a return address in Italy, which of course we didn't have, so I winded up writing down the address to some hostel that I have never even stayed at. All I could think of was how some guy was going to be getting a package full of women's clothing and think to himself, "What the...?" hahaha.
Anyway, that was an adventure in and of itself, but at least it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as the bus ride TO the Vatican. I have never felt so hot and sweaty in my life. You know when you are on a crowded bus or train, but there is still some empty space in the middle and back? This was NOT one of those times. As we got off, drenched in other people's sweat, Maddy turns to me and goes, "That was worse than trying to get back to campus from a Hamilton barn party!" haha, so so true. The Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel were absolutely amazing. Once inside, it took us about 20 minutes of walking through incredibly beautiful walls and rooms just to get to the Sistine Chapel. When we finally did, there was a guy shouting, "No pictures, please!"...so I took a video of it instead =). Though it wasn't exactly what I imagined it to be, I couldn't help but feel awestruck that I was standing in the same room that an artistic genius stood in (well, hung in) for about 9 years of his life. To see the artwork that made Michelangelo permanently blind and paralyzed was just crazy...gave me chills. It was a really amazing last day; I grew up Roman Catholic, so it was certainly an experience that I felt honored to have...to see all of that history that I'd learned about as a kid.
That night, Maddy and I took a night train to Sicily, which was a blast....well, at least for the most part. Her and I had an entire compartment to ourselves, and we had a few amazing conversations about love, life, graduating, next steps, etc. Of course, anyone who knows me knows that after 11 pm, without fail, I get my 3rd wind or something! So of course, I'm talking in my best Italian accents with words that I was pretty much making up (just adding "eria" or "oni" to the end of everything). Maddy and I couldn't stop laughing, but trying to fall asleep was a disaster, as we felt like we were going to fly off our bunkbeds (about 1/2 the size of a twin bed) the entire time. It was a little bit scary, but we arrived to a sunny Sicily!
We both had our preconceptions of what Sicily would be like, but let's just say for the first few hours, those expectations were not met. We arrived in a sketchy neighborhood, and because it was 8 am (people in Sicily wake up at around 10), no one was out so that made it even worse. On our first night, the owners and staff of the hostel invited us to have pizza and beer with them, and it was a real blast. I stayed up until about 2 a.m. talking to everyone and having some really great, meaningful conversations that I am sure to remember for quite some time. One thing I learned from the conversations in general is that we can't always judge things by our first impressions, because our first impressions often involve a host of other things- fear, tiredness, skepticism, etc. Usually, the best things in life come when you are patient...when you give things a chance. It was definitely an important reminder to me that life rewards patient individuals.
Even though I was sad to leave, the next place we stayed at had a room where I could leave my toiletries out by the sink, blast 80s music and dance on the bed, and there was a HAIRDRYER! Maddy and I spent the next day at the pool and got up to go to lunch at a small Italian restaurant on a random side street. The place was packed with locals, so I figured the food had to be good (and ohhhhh, it was!). Everything was going great and normal, until 4 men in nice suits pulled up and all of a sudden, a table was rushed out for them. But, I guess that spot wasn't good enough because they moved to another spot where there wasn't a table and the staff LITERALLY moved that table and re-set it up at the men's preferred spot. Food was brought out to them in about 5 minutes, and everyone at the restaurant was staring in their direction. Now, I don't know for sure what that was about, but I have a pretty damn good idea. All I am going to say was that the whole lunch experience was priceless. (If you have no idea what I am talking about at all, just ask me when I get home). Later that night, we went out to a "drinkeria" and had a great time sipping on overly strong mojitos and daquiris....good times had by all!
On our last day in Sicily, we spent the day at this beautiful beach called Mondello. Everyone was tan and beautiful, and the beach was just stunning. Since I am half Sicilian, being in Palermo was definitely a dream come true for me....everyone should have the opportunity to visit the places they are from. While I was in Florence and Rome the week before, I couldn't help but look around at the locals and think to myself, I don't look the slightest bit Italian. But when I got to Sicily, I recognized myself in others right away. Sicilians are a little bit darker, curvier, sassier. They like the sun, they like their food, and they like to go out until 4 am. Hmmmm....yup, now I see it. Of all the sights on this trip, nothing compared to looking in the eyes of other Sicilians and seeing a piece of who I am. It was a really great experience, and I hope to go back some day.
On the note of eyes, my new friend Emmalee was talking to me and telling me how she thought that people have a certain light to them...something you could pick up on almost instantly if you were paying attention. Interestingly, I was just finishing up a book called Brida by Paulo Coehlo (great read, if anyone is bored and needs something to do). The book touched upon the same notion- that you can recognize your Soulmate by the light in his or her eyes. The belief in this book is that the world is comprised of matter that is neither created nor destroyed. When we die, our matter becomes part of others and in our next life, we can literally find ourselves IN other individuals. We search our whole lives for those people and when we find them, we can look at the light in their eyes, see a part of ourselves, and know that they were meant to be part of our world...whether for an hour or a lifetime. I thought this was profound, and it certainly makes you pay closer attention to people's eyes!
I'm going to quote P. Diddy here, which is relevant because I've been watching a lot of Making the Band this past week (the only show that is actually in English): " A person's eyes reveal their soul. That is why I wear glasses...I don't want to share my soul with everyone." It sounds silly, but look into the eyes of a family member, best friend, or significant other. You'll recognize the light in their eyes and go, "Ahhhhh. So that is what makes my life so special."
So many amazing things have happened during my week in Italy- it would be impossible to write about all of the funny, jaw-dropping, and inspiring moments. But one thing that stood out in particular occurred to me after I bumped into the three people I had met previously on my trip. Maddy and I were not even planning on taking the bus that night- we made that decision on a whim. Had we walked or taken a cab, our night would have gone completely different. We wouldn't have met the same people, gone to the same places, etc. This is one of the scariest but coolest realizations that one could come to....as much as we don't like to think about it, the smallest decision- like when and where to take a bus- could change ones entire life trajectory. This might sound frightening, but it's a reminder that we must pay attention to even the smallest choices, but also have fun with it and trust our gut instincts. We have to find the courage to get past the fear and get to the empowerment of knowing this simple reality:
Every Moment Is A Decision.
Life is yours to create...Take care and pride of the movements that you make!
Love Life Always,
Melissa
Observations:
1. There is no such thing as bad food in Italy. I'm not kidding.
2. I might be sick if I eat another pizza or gelato.
3. Crossing the streets in Italy is crazy, but in Sicily it's impossible- there aren't even many crossing lights, and cars only stop if you walk in the middle of the road as they are coming at you full speed!
4. You'll get better service if you attempt to speak the local language. Sounds intuitive, but you'd be amazed at all of the people who never bother to try.
5. Palermo, Sicily reminded me of Hamilton in that we kept seeing the same people over and over again. Except, when we saw them again, they were nice enough to smile or wave back!
6. There are Starbucks all over the world..but you won't find one in Italy. Why? The local coffee is so damn good here, I'm guessing Starbucks would have zero customers.
7. Sicilian men are very attractive. Very.
8. It's important enough to emphasize again: Every Movement Is A Decision.
Trip Stats:
Days: 27
Roommates: 42
Local Life Lesson:
"Fear makes strangers out of people who should be friends" - Emmalee, A great new friend from Sicily
Jukebox: "Out Loud" - Dispatch
Random Thought: The last two weeks of my life would have been completely different had Maddy not made the choice to travel around Italy and Greece with me.
Quotable:
" So any stories to tell. Even more to live." - Billboard Sign
"Life is too short to be miserable." - Store sign. So true!
Overheard:
" Choosing to spend the rest of your life with someone goes beyond finding someone with common goals. It is about a shared willingness to sacrifice your unshared goals for one another." - A wise 27-yr.old fellow hostel-goer. Very deep.
Wow- A TON has happened in the past week and a half, it's a little bit crazy. I'll try to make this email short (and by normal people standards, that means really really long, still).
First of all, happy belated birthday to my girl Matrika (love ya, Triks!), and an early birthday to one of my best friends in the world, Mikhail. Also, a very sincere and excited congratulations to Gina and Mikhail on the engagement. I am SOOOO excited for the both of you- I couldn't think of a better pair, and I feel honored and blessed to be part of your wedding next year. Love ya both so much!!!
When I left off the last e-mail, Maddy and I were getting ready to leave Florence for Rome. The night before we left, we went for a midnight stroll with a few new friends from New Zealand. Amidst all of the great food and beautiful sights, I completely forgot to ask a local for life advice! So I was a woman on a mission, and we headed to the Duomo to meet some locals. Unfortunately, Florence isn't one of those places where you can walk up to someone and expect them to speak a lot of English, soooo....getting advice was proving to be difficult. After a little bit of frustration- but also meeting people who I could tell wanted to understand me, one of my new NZ friends saw two guys riding a scooter and was like, "Hey! Do you speak English!?!" hahaha. They pulled over and said they did, so they gave me some life advice (so strange, but I was in a hurry for it), and both told me to "Work Hard, Party Hard" - that shouldn't be too much of a challenge!
We woke up early the next morning to go to Rome, and although we were exhausted when we got there, we walked around to take the sights in for about 6 or 7 hours anyway. We were greeted with a super sweet B & B, a day of sunshine, and some seriously delicious gelato! The phenomenal sights included: the gorgeous view from the Medici castle; the Spanish Steps; Trevi Fountain (awesome architecture); the place where Mussolini gave his speeches; and my absolute favorite...the Pantheon.
The Pantheon, meaning "Temple of all the gods," was built in Ancient Rome, then rebuilt around 125 A.D. Despite the attention that the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain receive, the Pantheon is actually the oldest structure in Rome to date. What is spectacular about this building is that the height to the oculus (circular opening at the top of the dome) and the diameter of the interior circle are EXACTLY the same (142 feet). It also weighs about 5,000 TONS; it is the largest unreinforced concrete dome. Everything about the building is absolutely perfect, and the really cool thing is that the oculus is wide open, so when it rains in Rome, it pours inside the Pantheon. It really took my breath away to see such a beautiful structure and to think that it was built thousands of years ago. You look at this piece of architectural perfection, and you've gotta wonder, "How in the hell did they do this with no cranes, large machines, etc?" It is so astounding that even architects today are in awe of how the Romans built it.
That night, we decided it was time to go out, so we put on our party dresses (with flip flops...no heels still, unfortunately), and attempted to get on a bus at 10 pm to the other side of town. While waiting for a bus, we heard the sound of American voices, which we hadn't heard in a while, so we turned around to make friends. But the minute I did, all I heard was one of the guys say to me, "Hey! I know you!" Turns out that I met him and the two girls he was with on the train from Nice to Florence four days earlier! So all 5 of us winded up walking around Rome the whole night, and we finished off at a place called "Campo," which is a big square filled with bars and cafes. The night winded up being a ridiculous amount of fun, and I was glad we made new friends.
When we woke up, we went to see the Colosseum and the ancient ruins, which were all spectacular and jaw-dropping. As we walked up to the ruins and stood there in awe, Maddy read the description of where and how Rome was founded, and I being the less mature of the two on this trip, slowly broke into an electric guitar impression and sang, "We built this city! We built this city on ROCK. AND. ROOOOLLLLLLL!" Yes, I am insane.
Although that day was great, it didn't even compare to our last day in Rome, when Maddy and I went to Vatican City. But before we did that, we attempted to mail a package back home at the Italian Post Office, and no one spoke English there. One really sweet Italian lady called her friend to translate what we needed. When we finally were set to go, the postman said (in broken English), "So you know, chance your package never go New York." Alllrighty then. Good confidence builder, really. That's like going into a REALLY expensive restaurant and the waiter telling you after your meal, "I hope you enjoyed it, but we are sorry in advance if you get food poisioning." What made it worse was that we also had to have a return address in Italy, which of course we didn't have, so I winded up writing down the address to some hostel that I have never even stayed at. All I could think of was how some guy was going to be getting a package full of women's clothing and think to himself, "What the...?" hahaha.
Anyway, that was an adventure in and of itself, but at least it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as the bus ride TO the Vatican. I have never felt so hot and sweaty in my life. You know when you are on a crowded bus or train, but there is still some empty space in the middle and back? This was NOT one of those times. As we got off, drenched in other people's sweat, Maddy turns to me and goes, "That was worse than trying to get back to campus from a Hamilton barn party!" haha, so so true. The Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel were absolutely amazing. Once inside, it took us about 20 minutes of walking through incredibly beautiful walls and rooms just to get to the Sistine Chapel. When we finally did, there was a guy shouting, "No pictures, please!"...so I took a video of it instead =). Though it wasn't exactly what I imagined it to be, I couldn't help but feel awestruck that I was standing in the same room that an artistic genius stood in (well, hung in) for about 9 years of his life. To see the artwork that made Michelangelo permanently blind and paralyzed was just crazy...gave me chills. It was a really amazing last day; I grew up Roman Catholic, so it was certainly an experience that I felt honored to have...to see all of that history that I'd learned about as a kid.
That night, Maddy and I took a night train to Sicily, which was a blast....well, at least for the most part. Her and I had an entire compartment to ourselves, and we had a few amazing conversations about love, life, graduating, next steps, etc. Of course, anyone who knows me knows that after 11 pm, without fail, I get my 3rd wind or something! So of course, I'm talking in my best Italian accents with words that I was pretty much making up (just adding "eria" or "oni" to the end of everything). Maddy and I couldn't stop laughing, but trying to fall asleep was a disaster, as we felt like we were going to fly off our bunkbeds (about 1/2 the size of a twin bed) the entire time. It was a little bit scary, but we arrived to a sunny Sicily!
We both had our preconceptions of what Sicily would be like, but let's just say for the first few hours, those expectations were not met. We arrived in a sketchy neighborhood, and because it was 8 am (people in Sicily wake up at around 10), no one was out so that made it even worse. On our first night, the owners and staff of the hostel invited us to have pizza and beer with them, and it was a real blast. I stayed up until about 2 a.m. talking to everyone and having some really great, meaningful conversations that I am sure to remember for quite some time. One thing I learned from the conversations in general is that we can't always judge things by our first impressions, because our first impressions often involve a host of other things- fear, tiredness, skepticism, etc. Usually, the best things in life come when you are patient...when you give things a chance. It was definitely an important reminder to me that life rewards patient individuals.
Even though I was sad to leave, the next place we stayed at had a room where I could leave my toiletries out by the sink, blast 80s music and dance on the bed, and there was a HAIRDRYER! Maddy and I spent the next day at the pool and got up to go to lunch at a small Italian restaurant on a random side street. The place was packed with locals, so I figured the food had to be good (and ohhhhh, it was!). Everything was going great and normal, until 4 men in nice suits pulled up and all of a sudden, a table was rushed out for them. But, I guess that spot wasn't good enough because they moved to another spot where there wasn't a table and the staff LITERALLY moved that table and re-set it up at the men's preferred spot. Food was brought out to them in about 5 minutes, and everyone at the restaurant was staring in their direction. Now, I don't know for sure what that was about, but I have a pretty damn good idea. All I am going to say was that the whole lunch experience was priceless. (If you have no idea what I am talking about at all, just ask me when I get home). Later that night, we went out to a "drinkeria" and had a great time sipping on overly strong mojitos and daquiris....good times had by all!
On our last day in Sicily, we spent the day at this beautiful beach called Mondello. Everyone was tan and beautiful, and the beach was just stunning. Since I am half Sicilian, being in Palermo was definitely a dream come true for me....everyone should have the opportunity to visit the places they are from. While I was in Florence and Rome the week before, I couldn't help but look around at the locals and think to myself, I don't look the slightest bit Italian. But when I got to Sicily, I recognized myself in others right away. Sicilians are a little bit darker, curvier, sassier. They like the sun, they like their food, and they like to go out until 4 am. Hmmmm....yup, now I see it. Of all the sights on this trip, nothing compared to looking in the eyes of other Sicilians and seeing a piece of who I am. It was a really great experience, and I hope to go back some day.
On the note of eyes, my new friend Emmalee was talking to me and telling me how she thought that people have a certain light to them...something you could pick up on almost instantly if you were paying attention. Interestingly, I was just finishing up a book called Brida by Paulo Coehlo (great read, if anyone is bored and needs something to do). The book touched upon the same notion- that you can recognize your Soulmate by the light in his or her eyes. The belief in this book is that the world is comprised of matter that is neither created nor destroyed. When we die, our matter becomes part of others and in our next life, we can literally find ourselves IN other individuals. We search our whole lives for those people and when we find them, we can look at the light in their eyes, see a part of ourselves, and know that they were meant to be part of our world...whether for an hour or a lifetime. I thought this was profound, and it certainly makes you pay closer attention to people's eyes!
I'm going to quote P. Diddy here, which is relevant because I've been watching a lot of Making the Band this past week (the only show that is actually in English): " A person's eyes reveal their soul. That is why I wear glasses...I don't want to share my soul with everyone." It sounds silly, but look into the eyes of a family member, best friend, or significant other. You'll recognize the light in their eyes and go, "Ahhhhh. So that is what makes my life so special."
So many amazing things have happened during my week in Italy- it would be impossible to write about all of the funny, jaw-dropping, and inspiring moments. But one thing that stood out in particular occurred to me after I bumped into the three people I had met previously on my trip. Maddy and I were not even planning on taking the bus that night- we made that decision on a whim. Had we walked or taken a cab, our night would have gone completely different. We wouldn't have met the same people, gone to the same places, etc. This is one of the scariest but coolest realizations that one could come to....as much as we don't like to think about it, the smallest decision- like when and where to take a bus- could change ones entire life trajectory. This might sound frightening, but it's a reminder that we must pay attention to even the smallest choices, but also have fun with it and trust our gut instincts. We have to find the courage to get past the fear and get to the empowerment of knowing this simple reality:
Every Moment Is A Decision.
Life is yours to create...Take care and pride of the movements that you make!
Love Life Always,
Melissa
Observations:
1. There is no such thing as bad food in Italy. I'm not kidding.
2. I might be sick if I eat another pizza or gelato.
3. Crossing the streets in Italy is crazy, but in Sicily it's impossible- there aren't even many crossing lights, and cars only stop if you walk in the middle of the road as they are coming at you full speed!
4. You'll get better service if you attempt to speak the local language. Sounds intuitive, but you'd be amazed at all of the people who never bother to try.
5. Palermo, Sicily reminded me of Hamilton in that we kept seeing the same people over and over again. Except, when we saw them again, they were nice enough to smile or wave back!
6. There are Starbucks all over the world..but you won't find one in Italy. Why? The local coffee is so damn good here, I'm guessing Starbucks would have zero customers.
7. Sicilian men are very attractive. Very.
8. It's important enough to emphasize again: Every Movement Is A Decision.
Trip Stats:
Days: 27
Roommates: 42
Local Life Lesson:
"Fear makes strangers out of people who should be friends" - Emmalee, A great new friend from Sicily
Jukebox: "Out Loud" - Dispatch
Random Thought: The last two weeks of my life would have been completely different had Maddy not made the choice to travel around Italy and Greece with me.
Quotable:
" So any stories to tell. Even more to live." - Billboard Sign
"Life is too short to be miserable." - Store sign. So true!
Overheard:
" Choosing to spend the rest of your life with someone goes beyond finding someone with common goals. It is about a shared willingness to sacrifice your unshared goals for one another." - A wise 27-yr.old fellow hostel-goer. Very deep.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Nice is Nice, Firenze is Fabulous!
Bonjour & Bongiorno!
First and foremost, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!
Second, a quick belated birthday shout out to my girl Amy Brown- I hope you had a wonderful 22nd!
The past 6 days or so have been spent in Nice, France and Firenze (Florence), Italy. I was in Nice, a spectacular town along the French Riviera, for about 3 days. What can I say? It was absolutely a joy to be there. I'm pretty sure the rest of France is nothing like that, but boy, oh, boy...it was a vacation spot like none other! When I arrived in Nice at 8 pm on the first day, I was exhausted but I came just in time for the sun to set. I got settled into my first room and realized I had only one roommate, so I silently muttered, "Please God, let her be cool."
I left the room and treated myself to a delicious Margarita pizza and a tomato and basil salad, and then I went back to the hostel...but as I was on my way up to my room, I glanced back at a TV screen that was on in the lobby and it was the Eurocup final with Spain. So obviously, I had to stop and watch it because of the craziness that I experienced in Madrid and Barcelona. As I watched, the guy standing next to me introduced himself and we got to talking. Turns out he's from South Africa, which is pretty random and crazy. Soon enough, the girls next to him started talking to us, arguing about whether the US pastime was baseball or football. I personally think football might be our nation's sport, but baseball is forever our pastime. You can disagree if you want, but basically, I'm right!
Anyway, it turns out one of the girls was my roommate. Her name is Maddie, and she IS really cool. Prayer #7423529...ANSWERED! We winded up all hanging out in the common area which was literally called " The Chill Out Room". Then, we went out to some Irish pub by the beach, which made me reminisce about times at O'Reilley's in Fiji, except with an Irish cover band instead of Jamaican-sounding remixes of American pop songs (Shout out to Team Fiji '07, I miss you all more than I can say). It was a blast, and as I looked up in the middle of the ranting amongst my new friends, I saw the most beautiful sight: it was the hills surrounding the beach area, all lit up with waterfalls cascading down the sides of it. It was astounding, largely because I didn't expect to see something like that at all. I just stood there for a minute, and it hit me like a cement brick... I was in NICE. Ever since I was like 12, I wanted to come to Nice. I don't exactly know why...I think I saw it in a movie or something. I was living the dream!! It was a special moment for me, and surrounded by my smiling new posse of friends, I felt on top of the world.
The next day got even better, as Maddie, my South African buddy Dylan, and our other new found friends Natalie, Kevin, and Dave all went to explore Monaco. YES, THE Monaco!, like where James Bond kicked it in the Casino Royale, and where the Queen of Monaco lives. It was absolutely ridiculous. If you've ever been to Martha's Vineyard, the Hamptons, or Beverly Hills...multiply the disgusting display of wealth by 5 and you've got Monaco. Home of gold plated boats and ridiculously fast Ferraris, there I was happy as a clam. I bought this ridiculously fancy and unnecessary, but gorgeous white strapless dress in London because it was a true bargain. The minute I bought it, I realized I was going to be lugging it around Europe with me because of my foolish impulsiveness. But, let me just tell you...I felt relieved to have a nice dress on hand that day.
On my last day in Nice, I went to the beach with Natalie, who winded up being a friend I hope to keep in touch with for years to come. It's funny- I'm never the first one in the water at the beach, but the minute I'm in, it's near IMPOSSIBLE to get me out! I did, unfortunately lose my first- and what I hope to be my last- item on this trip when I got in the water...my precious, precious sunglasses. I'll just suck it up and consider it a worthy sacrifice to the sun gods that were shining down on me that day.
That night, I was checking emails at the hostel and these two Canadian guys were next to me singing "It's yourrrr thaaaaang! Do whatcha wanna doooo!", and arguing about Canadian sports- which are erroneous anyway- but it was hilarious. Me, another girl, and the two Canadians got to talking and they invited us out to a bar, but when we went to go meet them, the bar was already closed, so me and the other girl winded up just going downtown by the beach and went to some crazy club/ pub called Wayne's where everyone dances on the tables and chairs...pretty fun. Some girl started talking to us and it turns out she was backpacking as well, but got discovered singing at an open mic a few months back and has been singing private gigs in Nice ever since. Isn't that crazy how life works out? We bonded over her and I having done Canadian Idol and American Idol, respectively, and she winded up giving me really great life advice to add to my collection...." Life is not as serious as we make it out to be. Be Happy!"
On our way back to the hostel that night, Rachel- the girl I went out with that night- and I got into a conversation about our travels and reasons for leaving home for a bit. If you can't already tell, it's been a common and thoroughly interesting conversation topic on this trip. Rachel is a 25-year-old Aussie who got tired of her job and decided to move to London for a year to work at a youth hostel there. Now, she is traveling through Europe until she feels like not traveling anymore, and she's working along the way whenever she needs to. I really, really admire this. People don't fully realize how gutsy it is to just take off with no plan like that. A lot call it irresponsible and nontraditional, but so what? It's one of the hardest and most rewarding things an individual can do, and I don't think people should ever be put down for doing it just because it's less common.
After talking to her, I realized that the expectation to follow a certain path in life can be absolutely stifling. We are taught that we have to work hard, get married, have kids, not get divorced, make money, etc. We are sent so many messages from a very young age about the "right" way to live, but there is no such thing! These pressures are often facades that hide the beauty of reality. It becomes difficult to distinguish between pressures and true personal desires because they become so intertwined. But when we learn to tell the difference, there is comfort in knowing that we have all we need to build the life we want...to choose what is right for us and what isn't, regardless of how others perceive the choices we make. To be able to choose freely is most certainly a privilege. And because I am blessed enough to have it, I feel obligated not to waste it by always doing what others tell me I should when I know in my heart it isn't the right choice for me.
So while others might think it's foolish to spend only 3 days in Nice, I say let's move on to Florence! After an insanely long day on the trains, I finally arrived at my hostel in Italy, which let me just tell you...is PIMPED out. This place has a pool, a deck terrace, two bars, pool tables, a gym, AIR CONDITIONED rooms!, and a dance floor. It was absolutely insane how nice it was. The only thing better that awaited me than all of these delightful amenities was my college roommate Maddy!!!! Her and I will be traveling around Italy and Greece for the next week or so. Whenever her and I are together, we always have insane stories to tell, so the next few weeks should be interesting...
After I settled in, Maddy and I went out to eat at some hidden restaurant that our new friends Nathan and Matt took us to. Nathan studied abroad in Florence last year, so we got the scoop on all of the best places to go. I don't know what they do to make their pasta, pizza, balsamic vinegar, wine, gelato....pretty much everything....so much better, but if I could just bring back that entire restaurant with me to New York, I would be set. When we got back to the hostel, Nathan took me up to see the roof at midnight, and I wasn't expecting much...but the view made my knees weak. Off in the distance was the Duomo, the hills surrounding Italy, the people walking on the tiny streets below, and the sky full of stars above. I wanted to capture that moment so I tried to take pictures, but of course they didn't come out. I knew that it wasn't a moment I could have captured on film, so I closed my eyes and tried my best to retain that feeling of sheer amazement at how small I am, but how big and magnificent the world I am a part of is. I hope I remember that moment for the rest of my life.
Over the next two days, Maddy and I saw all the sights- browsed the gold shops along Ponte Vecchio, waited on line for two hours to see Michelangelo's David, had our fair share of gelato, climbed up to the most magnificent view at Piazza Michelangelo, and I proudly bargained down a guy for a souvenir...30% off. Those are my Chinatown negotiating skills right there! Another funny thing- as I was leaving my hostel, I bumped into my roommate Maddie from Nice! As I introduced her, I said this is my roommate Maddie...and realized that both of them were my roommates and both of them were Maddie/Maddy's! hahaha. Oh- and when I was in the Duomo, I bumped into a guy I met on a train in Monaco... it is such a small world!
Last night, Maddy and I met 3 Brazilian guys who were staying in our room; they winded up getting trashed and...let's just say they lived up to the Brazilian male stereotype. Quite interesting company, but it was a night for the storybooks. Maddy and I found a club called "Central Park" and wanted to go because we thought it would be funny to be able to tell people that we rang in our first July 4th outside the states while sipping on American beers at Central Park. But alas, it wasn't in the cards for us because we couldn't convince the Brazilian guys that unlike back home for them, the party ends (not starts) at 3 am.
I've realized a few things in the past week. First, after hanging out with almost a dozen new people, I realized that there are people in this world who we meet and instantly click with. It feels as if we've known them forever and an unspoken understanding exists about each other. These are the kinds of people you can be completely silent with, and still feel utterly comfortable. Then, there are people who you just, for whatever reason, don't mesh with at all. They make you uncomfortable, misunderstanding is at an all-time high around them, and you just don't feel like your best self. I have this thing about wanting to be friends with everyone, but I am realizing that it's not really possible, let alone worth it, to make that a goal.
There are so many fabulous people that we click with from the moment we meet them. These people are precious, and when we find them- whether they be friends, significant others, business partners...whatever- we should hold them close to us. These are the people that will light up our lives with sunshine, stories, and smiles. Ironically, we have to be able to fill our own lives with happiness before we can attract others to us that will add to it.
People often say that we should never need another person to be complete. In a way, I think this is the worst piece of advice ever. Of course we need other people to be complete! The people in our lives...friends, family, etc...they are all a reflection of who we are. They shape you, you shape them, and your life is much more precious because they are in it. It would be great if the above advice were true, because it would mean that we could be perfectly happy without getting hurt by others. But to be a guarded individual and not be open to love and friendship....it's the surest way to close ourselves off to a life of true happiness.
The last notable point is this: I saw many beautiful things in Florence. It was 10 Euros to see the statue of David. It was 6 Euros to climb to the top of the Duomo. It was free to view Florence from Piazza Michelangelo.
There is nothing like being in the presence of absolute greatness, which is what the Academia housed- some of the best artwork in the world. But the view from the Duomo, which was cheaper, was absolutely breathtaking (both figuratively and literally....450-something steps to the top). you could see all of Florence from there. Unlike artwork, which you can see a picture of and it looks pretty much the same in person, absolutely nothing compares to the top of the Duomo. No picture can capture that. But what I enjoyed even more than the Duomo was the view from Piazza Michelangelo. The Duomo was crowded and touristy and sweaty. The piazza was quiet, and astounding, and natural. The peace of mind I found there was a joy, and I could have easily sat up on that balcony for hours just listening to tunes and writing.
What I realized is that there is a price to pay for absolutely everything, whether it be money, time or energy. But when it comes to money, price isn't always the best indicator of worth. In my experience, the best things in life are monetarily free. Finding a hidden spot high above a city where you have the opportunity to take life in; stolen glances from a stranger that for whatever reason, makes you smile for hours; looking up at the stars with a new friend; laughing with an old one; breathing in, breathing out.
A lot of money cannot buy you a good life. But a lot of appreciation can.
Hope this email finds you all well. Happy 4th!
Love life,
Melissa
Observations:
1. They serve McCroques at McDonald's in France....made me think a lot about the McDonald's marketing plan and the genius-ness of it. We may grimace at the thought of McDonald's taking over the world, but we should look a little closer. If we do, the psychology of human consumerism and brand recognition as a form of personal comfort becomes astonishingly clear.
2. Italians are big on leather, but people don't realize that most of it sold here was made in China and stamped with an Italian seal while coming through customs. If you are interested, look up all of the ways you spot an authentic Italian leather item.
3. Even when I met an Italians who spoke English well, cultural difference was still blatantly obvious.
4. You need to hand in your passport to use any public computer in Italy!
5. Wine is cheaper than water here...a Hamilton student's dream.
Trip Stats:
Days: 18
Roommates: 39
I found a ridiculously overpriced, but well worth it jar of Skippy, so we are back in business with the PB & J stat!: ...It's up to 7 PB & J's consumed thus far.
Local Life Lesson:
"Write your own songs." - A friend made in Nice, France. The advice is symbolic...interpret it as you wish.
Jukebox: "Follow" - Richie Havens
Random Thought:
I don't know how God would feel about people charging to get into a church...
Quotable:
Maddy knows of my intensely limited budget on this trip, so after waking up at noon- about 3 hours later than we planned, she says: "Well look on the bright side- that's one less meal we have to pay for!" hahahahaha. Love you, Maddy.
Overheard:
A girl who looked to be about 9 years old eating lunch with her dad: " When I become president, I am going to put a limit on how many Pepsi people drink so people don't get unhealthy. No more than 5 cups a day!"
Father: "But most people don't drink more than 5, so the law would be useless."
Daughter: "Ok, four then."
Father: "Most people don't drink four, either."
Daughter: "Ok, fine Three! But that's it- no more than three!"
First and foremost, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!
Second, a quick belated birthday shout out to my girl Amy Brown- I hope you had a wonderful 22nd!
The past 6 days or so have been spent in Nice, France and Firenze (Florence), Italy. I was in Nice, a spectacular town along the French Riviera, for about 3 days. What can I say? It was absolutely a joy to be there. I'm pretty sure the rest of France is nothing like that, but boy, oh, boy...it was a vacation spot like none other! When I arrived in Nice at 8 pm on the first day, I was exhausted but I came just in time for the sun to set. I got settled into my first room and realized I had only one roommate, so I silently muttered, "Please God, let her be cool."
I left the room and treated myself to a delicious Margarita pizza and a tomato and basil salad, and then I went back to the hostel...but as I was on my way up to my room, I glanced back at a TV screen that was on in the lobby and it was the Eurocup final with Spain. So obviously, I had to stop and watch it because of the craziness that I experienced in Madrid and Barcelona. As I watched, the guy standing next to me introduced himself and we got to talking. Turns out he's from South Africa, which is pretty random and crazy. Soon enough, the girls next to him started talking to us, arguing about whether the US pastime was baseball or football. I personally think football might be our nation's sport, but baseball is forever our pastime. You can disagree if you want, but basically, I'm right!
Anyway, it turns out one of the girls was my roommate. Her name is Maddie, and she IS really cool. Prayer #7423529...ANSWERED! We winded up all hanging out in the common area which was literally called " The Chill Out Room". Then, we went out to some Irish pub by the beach, which made me reminisce about times at O'Reilley's in Fiji, except with an Irish cover band instead of Jamaican-sounding remixes of American pop songs (Shout out to Team Fiji '07, I miss you all more than I can say). It was a blast, and as I looked up in the middle of the ranting amongst my new friends, I saw the most beautiful sight: it was the hills surrounding the beach area, all lit up with waterfalls cascading down the sides of it. It was astounding, largely because I didn't expect to see something like that at all. I just stood there for a minute, and it hit me like a cement brick... I was in NICE. Ever since I was like 12, I wanted to come to Nice. I don't exactly know why...I think I saw it in a movie or something. I was living the dream!! It was a special moment for me, and surrounded by my smiling new posse of friends, I felt on top of the world.
The next day got even better, as Maddie, my South African buddy Dylan, and our other new found friends Natalie, Kevin, and Dave all went to explore Monaco. YES, THE Monaco!, like where James Bond kicked it in the Casino Royale, and where the Queen of Monaco lives. It was absolutely ridiculous. If you've ever been to Martha's Vineyard, the Hamptons, or Beverly Hills...multiply the disgusting display of wealth by 5 and you've got Monaco. Home of gold plated boats and ridiculously fast Ferraris, there I was happy as a clam. I bought this ridiculously fancy and unnecessary, but gorgeous white strapless dress in London because it was a true bargain. The minute I bought it, I realized I was going to be lugging it around Europe with me because of my foolish impulsiveness. But, let me just tell you...I felt relieved to have a nice dress on hand that day.
On my last day in Nice, I went to the beach with Natalie, who winded up being a friend I hope to keep in touch with for years to come. It's funny- I'm never the first one in the water at the beach, but the minute I'm in, it's near IMPOSSIBLE to get me out! I did, unfortunately lose my first- and what I hope to be my last- item on this trip when I got in the water...my precious, precious sunglasses. I'll just suck it up and consider it a worthy sacrifice to the sun gods that were shining down on me that day.
That night, I was checking emails at the hostel and these two Canadian guys were next to me singing "It's yourrrr thaaaaang! Do whatcha wanna doooo!", and arguing about Canadian sports- which are erroneous anyway- but it was hilarious. Me, another girl, and the two Canadians got to talking and they invited us out to a bar, but when we went to go meet them, the bar was already closed, so me and the other girl winded up just going downtown by the beach and went to some crazy club/ pub called Wayne's where everyone dances on the tables and chairs...pretty fun. Some girl started talking to us and it turns out she was backpacking as well, but got discovered singing at an open mic a few months back and has been singing private gigs in Nice ever since. Isn't that crazy how life works out? We bonded over her and I having done Canadian Idol and American Idol, respectively, and she winded up giving me really great life advice to add to my collection...." Life is not as serious as we make it out to be. Be Happy!"
On our way back to the hostel that night, Rachel- the girl I went out with that night- and I got into a conversation about our travels and reasons for leaving home for a bit. If you can't already tell, it's been a common and thoroughly interesting conversation topic on this trip. Rachel is a 25-year-old Aussie who got tired of her job and decided to move to London for a year to work at a youth hostel there. Now, she is traveling through Europe until she feels like not traveling anymore, and she's working along the way whenever she needs to. I really, really admire this. People don't fully realize how gutsy it is to just take off with no plan like that. A lot call it irresponsible and nontraditional, but so what? It's one of the hardest and most rewarding things an individual can do, and I don't think people should ever be put down for doing it just because it's less common.
After talking to her, I realized that the expectation to follow a certain path in life can be absolutely stifling. We are taught that we have to work hard, get married, have kids, not get divorced, make money, etc. We are sent so many messages from a very young age about the "right" way to live, but there is no such thing! These pressures are often facades that hide the beauty of reality. It becomes difficult to distinguish between pressures and true personal desires because they become so intertwined. But when we learn to tell the difference, there is comfort in knowing that we have all we need to build the life we want...to choose what is right for us and what isn't, regardless of how others perceive the choices we make. To be able to choose freely is most certainly a privilege. And because I am blessed enough to have it, I feel obligated not to waste it by always doing what others tell me I should when I know in my heart it isn't the right choice for me.
So while others might think it's foolish to spend only 3 days in Nice, I say let's move on to Florence! After an insanely long day on the trains, I finally arrived at my hostel in Italy, which let me just tell you...is PIMPED out. This place has a pool, a deck terrace, two bars, pool tables, a gym, AIR CONDITIONED rooms!, and a dance floor. It was absolutely insane how nice it was. The only thing better that awaited me than all of these delightful amenities was my college roommate Maddy!!!! Her and I will be traveling around Italy and Greece for the next week or so. Whenever her and I are together, we always have insane stories to tell, so the next few weeks should be interesting...
After I settled in, Maddy and I went out to eat at some hidden restaurant that our new friends Nathan and Matt took us to. Nathan studied abroad in Florence last year, so we got the scoop on all of the best places to go. I don't know what they do to make their pasta, pizza, balsamic vinegar, wine, gelato....pretty much everything....so much better, but if I could just bring back that entire restaurant with me to New York, I would be set. When we got back to the hostel, Nathan took me up to see the roof at midnight, and I wasn't expecting much...but the view made my knees weak. Off in the distance was the Duomo, the hills surrounding Italy, the people walking on the tiny streets below, and the sky full of stars above. I wanted to capture that moment so I tried to take pictures, but of course they didn't come out. I knew that it wasn't a moment I could have captured on film, so I closed my eyes and tried my best to retain that feeling of sheer amazement at how small I am, but how big and magnificent the world I am a part of is. I hope I remember that moment for the rest of my life.
Over the next two days, Maddy and I saw all the sights- browsed the gold shops along Ponte Vecchio, waited on line for two hours to see Michelangelo's David, had our fair share of gelato, climbed up to the most magnificent view at Piazza Michelangelo, and I proudly bargained down a guy for a souvenir...30% off. Those are my Chinatown negotiating skills right there! Another funny thing- as I was leaving my hostel, I bumped into my roommate Maddie from Nice! As I introduced her, I said this is my roommate Maddie...and realized that both of them were my roommates and both of them were Maddie/Maddy's! hahaha. Oh- and when I was in the Duomo, I bumped into a guy I met on a train in Monaco... it is such a small world!
Last night, Maddy and I met 3 Brazilian guys who were staying in our room; they winded up getting trashed and...let's just say they lived up to the Brazilian male stereotype. Quite interesting company, but it was a night for the storybooks. Maddy and I found a club called "Central Park" and wanted to go because we thought it would be funny to be able to tell people that we rang in our first July 4th outside the states while sipping on American beers at Central Park. But alas, it wasn't in the cards for us because we couldn't convince the Brazilian guys that unlike back home for them, the party ends (not starts) at 3 am.
I've realized a few things in the past week. First, after hanging out with almost a dozen new people, I realized that there are people in this world who we meet and instantly click with. It feels as if we've known them forever and an unspoken understanding exists about each other. These are the kinds of people you can be completely silent with, and still feel utterly comfortable. Then, there are people who you just, for whatever reason, don't mesh with at all. They make you uncomfortable, misunderstanding is at an all-time high around them, and you just don't feel like your best self. I have this thing about wanting to be friends with everyone, but I am realizing that it's not really possible, let alone worth it, to make that a goal.
There are so many fabulous people that we click with from the moment we meet them. These people are precious, and when we find them- whether they be friends, significant others, business partners...whatever- we should hold them close to us. These are the people that will light up our lives with sunshine, stories, and smiles. Ironically, we have to be able to fill our own lives with happiness before we can attract others to us that will add to it.
People often say that we should never need another person to be complete. In a way, I think this is the worst piece of advice ever. Of course we need other people to be complete! The people in our lives...friends, family, etc...they are all a reflection of who we are. They shape you, you shape them, and your life is much more precious because they are in it. It would be great if the above advice were true, because it would mean that we could be perfectly happy without getting hurt by others. But to be a guarded individual and not be open to love and friendship....it's the surest way to close ourselves off to a life of true happiness.
The last notable point is this: I saw many beautiful things in Florence. It was 10 Euros to see the statue of David. It was 6 Euros to climb to the top of the Duomo. It was free to view Florence from Piazza Michelangelo.
There is nothing like being in the presence of absolute greatness, which is what the Academia housed- some of the best artwork in the world. But the view from the Duomo, which was cheaper, was absolutely breathtaking (both figuratively and literally....450-something steps to the top). you could see all of Florence from there. Unlike artwork, which you can see a picture of and it looks pretty much the same in person, absolutely nothing compares to the top of the Duomo. No picture can capture that. But what I enjoyed even more than the Duomo was the view from Piazza Michelangelo. The Duomo was crowded and touristy and sweaty. The piazza was quiet, and astounding, and natural. The peace of mind I found there was a joy, and I could have easily sat up on that balcony for hours just listening to tunes and writing.
What I realized is that there is a price to pay for absolutely everything, whether it be money, time or energy. But when it comes to money, price isn't always the best indicator of worth. In my experience, the best things in life are monetarily free. Finding a hidden spot high above a city where you have the opportunity to take life in; stolen glances from a stranger that for whatever reason, makes you smile for hours; looking up at the stars with a new friend; laughing with an old one; breathing in, breathing out.
A lot of money cannot buy you a good life. But a lot of appreciation can.
Hope this email finds you all well. Happy 4th!
Love life,
Melissa
Observations:
1. They serve McCroques at McDonald's in France....made me think a lot about the McDonald's marketing plan and the genius-ness of it. We may grimace at the thought of McDonald's taking over the world, but we should look a little closer. If we do, the psychology of human consumerism and brand recognition as a form of personal comfort becomes astonishingly clear.
2. Italians are big on leather, but people don't realize that most of it sold here was made in China and stamped with an Italian seal while coming through customs. If you are interested, look up all of the ways you spot an authentic Italian leather item.
3. Even when I met an Italians who spoke English well, cultural difference was still blatantly obvious.
4. You need to hand in your passport to use any public computer in Italy!
5. Wine is cheaper than water here...a Hamilton student's dream.
Trip Stats:
Days: 18
Roommates: 39
I found a ridiculously overpriced, but well worth it jar of Skippy, so we are back in business with the PB & J stat!: ...It's up to 7 PB & J's consumed thus far.
Local Life Lesson:
"Write your own songs." - A friend made in Nice, France. The advice is symbolic...interpret it as you wish.
Jukebox: "Follow" - Richie Havens
Random Thought:
I don't know how God would feel about people charging to get into a church...
Quotable:
Maddy knows of my intensely limited budget on this trip, so after waking up at noon- about 3 hours later than we planned, she says: "Well look on the bright side- that's one less meal we have to pay for!" hahahahaha. Love you, Maddy.
Overheard:
A girl who looked to be about 9 years old eating lunch with her dad: " When I become president, I am going to put a limit on how many Pepsi people drink so people don't get unhealthy. No more than 5 cups a day!"
Father: "But most people don't drink more than 5, so the law would be useless."
Daughter: "Ok, four then."
Father: "Most people don't drink four, either."
Daughter: "Ok, fine Three! But that's it- no more than three!"
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