Italia, Day by Day: Days 2&3 (April 21-22)– VENEZIA!!!

THIS CITY IS GORGEOUS LAWD

When we first rolled in yesterday, we had the experience of fighting through customs in a tourist utopia. The line to the customs officers filled an entire corridor. And when I say filled, I mean wall-to-wall, no lines in sight. Still, it was kind of fun. We caught a taxi to our hotel and it all finally felt real. I sleep well on planes and was excited to get started immediately but Z was exhausted. She insisted on a nap before we took on the town.

So, 2 hours later, we started walking around Venice. This city is unlike any I’ve seen before. The taxi took the only road from the mainland into the city. Other than that, no one here really has cars. Canals connect the city so people own their own boats instead.

I insisted on signing up for a free walking tour in every city that we go to in order to understand more about it than just their beauty. Unfortunately, the first one was 3 hours and wasn’t the best. The tour guide studied art history here and kinda seemed like a recluse (that might be rude in retrospect) but, to summarize, not the most interesting tour. We walked around a lot of back alleys to remote parts of town and looked at super tiny details of things. But one thing she said did stick with me. To notice the details. Venice is chock full of them. For example, any architecture that features a lion with an open book means that that piece was built during times of piece. A lion with a closed book signifies a time of war.

There’s this statistic I heard on the walking tour that, on any given day, there are 50,000 native Venezians and 85,000 tourists. As a result, the entire economy here basically revolves around tourism. Even the “less touristy” parts of town are just a 2-5 minute walk from more swarming foreigners.

So after some ~learning~ we walked around, found a nice restaurant on the river, and split lasagna and pepper pasta. Z got Spiritz, a famous Venezian drink and, later I got this BOMB mango gelato.

In the morning, we were on our own so we decided to get lost. To stock up, we filled our stomachs and bags with food from the hotel’s morning buffet—i.e. ham, yogurt, tea, and croissants on croissants. Next, I wanted to go to El Piazzo di San Marco and take in the sights of the water, the museums, and Doge’s Palace. The square opens out suddenly from this dark alley way and oh my goodness it was gorgeous. Giant and open with so much detail in the carvings when you look up. We spent some time walking around in awe and taking pictures until another attraction grabbed our attention—a bird lady. She was tossing broken crackers everywhere and attracting dozens of pigeons and laughing as they swarmed her. One even landed on her arm.

Z& I saw this and immediately followed suit. The croissants we had packed in our bags, previously intended as a quick afternoon snack, now became fuel for a half hour of attracting birds and trying to get them to land on us. 10/10 would imitate the woman from Home Alone again.

Later, we continued walking along the water until we found a nice place to sit, soak in the sun, and nap. Later, we found a nice outdoor café and had margarita pizza and white wine for lunch.

To end the day, Z convinced me to splurge and ride a gondola. When in Rome, right? Or Venezia, rather. I was trying to be frugal but it’s been on my bucket list since I was in 10^th grade to ride a gondola in Venice so I just decided to put in a few extra hours at work the week I get back to E-town and just completely engage now. Our driver was this super attractive man named Diego who was born and raised in the city and would tell us super interesting facts as we floated by different buildings. That’s the great thing about Europe. Everything is so old that the layers of history in a place that you might not have noticed before astound you.

On the way back, we found a playground. Anyone who knows me knows that when I see swings, it’s a requirement that I go on them before I can focus on anything else. Z is the same. So we both all but ran to them and hung out there for 40ish minutes. The tree next to the swing set had a bunch of people’s names carved into it (mainly couples but I say you have to love yourself first) so I carved mine in as well. It was faint but it felt good to make my mark on Venice.

I decided on the way here that I wanted to have useful souvenirs for once so I found a stand that sold genuine leather bags and haggled my way to a lovely leather laptop bag that I plan to use for years. Thanks to the frugal fam for teaching me! Finally, it was time to go back and rest up before our trip to Florence tomorrow. We watched a bit of Italian iCarly as we went over our schedule and maps and then I sat down to write this! Now it’s time for bed and a new day.

Until then!

Italia, Day by Day: Day 1 (April 20)—Chicago-NYC-Venice

 Today really makes me hope that foreshadowing isn’t a thing in real life. In order to make it to my flight on time, I woke up at 6:15 to catch the 7:04 Purple Line to O’Hare. And that’s where the first struggle occurred. Upon attempting to carry my suitcase over the bannister, my I dropped my phone on the heartless concrete and it shattered. I’ve dropped my phone so many times that I really believed it would be okay when I picked it up. I was so, so wrong. Timing of it sucks with the whole international bit but it is what it is.

Upon arriving to NYC, I was worried about being able to find Z after that whole mishap. But surprisingly for NYC, people were super helpful. One of the travel agents let me use the airport phone to call her. We had a 7 hour layover so we ended up just walking endless laps around JFK. For some reason, every time we took a shuttle or walked into a new terminal, people just really seemed to think we were approachable for some reason. I need to work on my RBF. There were at least 4 conversations in which people asked if we were twins and we decided to just start saying yes.

While walking around the airport, Z started laughing to herself and I wanted to know why. She thought I would be mad but eventually I got her to tell me what it was.

Lord. This child.

This child had WEED IN HER VAGINA.

Since it’s 420 today and she was determined to smoke, her friend taught her how to fill a tampon with weed. So she did, wore it through TSA security and somehow made it. She told me she wanted to save it for one of our beach days but honestly, I’m not sure if I want to smoke that.

After that revelation, it was time to take a break and go to lunch. We got Panda Express with the driest fried rice I’ve had in awhile. While eating, this poor family accidently set off this absurdly loud alarm and ran away before any airport security could track them down.

Now it’s 6pm and we still have 3 more hours until the flight to Venice takes off. Somehow, it still hasn’t hit me where we’re going. And I have a feeling that it won’t until I’m walking off the plane in Italy. Until then, Ciao bellas.

Don't Worry, I'm Yours

aka the most relaxing song of all time

feast your ears here

A poem for you

I wanted to write something for you.

You, who is hesitant.
You, who is broken.
You, who keeps trusting.
You, who is relentless with truth.
You, who isn't afraid to cry.

I wanted to thank you.

Anyway, Still, Despite.

The best thing about senior year? I've stopped trying to impress people. I'm finally, finally speaking up and making choices just for me.

Over my time here, the lesson that has stayed most with me is how to do things on my own. I've learned that you have to believe in yourself most and, when you can't, you have to tell yourself that you have to and find a way.

You can't love anything until you can love yourself. Anyway, still, despite. You have to love yourself when your phone doesn't buzz with anyone checking in. You have to love yourself and hold yourself when it the world feels like it's crashing down and you sit by yourself on the beach if only as a reminder that there's more. You have to forgive yourself for the regrets you have and the mistakes you've yet to make. And that in and of is so difficult. It is so hard. But when you have to, find a way because no one else will for you, you do. Anyway, still, despite. 

I've had so many moments this past week. An inebriated discussion on a bus ride home from the best dinner dance party I've had on what it means to love and pour yourself out. Monday night on the beach cuddling under a blanket and looking up at the stars swapping stories of campouts and fireflies. A surprise visit from a summer partner in crime. Carlo. Staying up late to watch The Princess Bride and drink tea with new friends who were strangers only two days prior. Dancing unabashedly as sweat poured down my face as new friends marveled at the very concept of a basement. Addis Abeba.

And I've had other moments. Lying alone in my living room for a time I wasn't even able to measure crying crumpled in a fetal position as the overwhelming wave of loneliness washed over me. Pacing and trying to reach one of my dearest friends back home as she struggled with her depression. Escaping to the beach and lying in the sand looking up towards the sky, shivering in my winter coat, with just the hope that the ebb and flow of the waves would calm sudden anxiety.

And yet. We keep going.

I have a good life. Great, even. And I'll be the first to express my gratitude for it. I have people who love me. I know that. Sometimes deeply, other times just theoretically. I've had the chance to explore so many places beyond the boundary of home and meet people accordingly. I'm done with university. I have food to eat. But that doesn't mean there aren't times, so many times, when help is so needed. For me, those times come in sharp peaks and suddenly, seemingly out of no where, I'm drowning. Sometimes I bounce back, other times it takes too long. I've learned to do things on my own but I hate the feeling of having to again and again.

I don't have a moral of the story today. I just have the fragments that I'm still struggling to piece together. Some beautiful, some gray. 

Anyway.