In the past ten weeks I have lived like I never have before. Like Eleanor Lavish famously stated in the E.M. Forster novel, A Room with a View, “One doesn’t come to Italy for niceness….one comes for life.” My experience in Italy has presented me with a new outlook on life and a plethora of unforgettable memories. Italy has served as the stage for my first experience outside American borders, and it has been an excellent host to my theatric antics- my collective tourist tendencies, my multiple (and sometimes cheesy) photo op’s, my wide eyed looks of amazement as I gazed upon the wonders around me, my mad dash to catch the fleeing vaporetto, my shock as I watched an innocent tourist get their bag stolen and my rocky endeavors to master the Italian language. I have breathed in the salty Venetian air, trampled the beautiful and crumbling landscape of Rome, experienced the vibrant Milan nightlife, delighted in the romantic aura of dreamy Verona and explored the bustling streets of Padova. Through my Italian travels I’ve mastered the quick tongued “scusi,” tasted the fresh flavors of true Italian cooking, experienced the intrigue of the Carnivale mask, and spent several hours relaxing with a friend and a cappuccino at a quaint Venetian café.
However, Italy has not been the only stomping ground for my European adventures. I have gazed upon the idyllic scenery of Ireland, wandered the foothills of the Irish countryside alongside babbling brooks and watched traditional Irish folk dancing in Dublin. I have relaxed in an English pub, been in awe of the beautiful Westminster Abbey and zipped through the Underground like a true Londoner. I have shopped with the locals at the lively Christmas Market in Zurich, delighted myself in fried apples and the aromas of cinnamon and cider and strolled along the winding cobblestone paths dotted with tiny shops in Switzerland. I have drunk thick German beer as I cheered on an oompah band in the most popular beer hall in the world, the Hofbrauhas, in Munich. I have witnessed the splendor and insanity of Gaudi in the form of his dripping beauty, La Sagrada Famila, explored the perverse side of Pablo Picasso at the Picasso Museum and spent an entertaining evening enjoying authentic Spanish cuisine in a smoky restaurant in Barcelona. I have spent a leisurely evening with a glass of wine and a chocolate crepe at a Parisian café, surrounded myself with the masterpieces of Claude Monet in his large scale wall murals and experienced the glim surroundings of the imprisoned Marie Antoinette at the Conciergerie in Paris.
As a tourist, a traveling vagabond with the world at my feet and my life on my back, I have also had some interesting experiences. I have spent the night on a couch in the Dublin airport, struggled to sleep in a cramped overnight train, spent numerous evenings in communal hostels sharing rooms with strangers, attempted (and often failed) to stuff my belongings into a small backpack, been hit on by strange foreign men, paid way too much for a bottle of water and even lost my wallet. However, every experience has only added a chapter to my chronicle. Europe has not only fulfilled my yearning to travel and delighted my senses, but has also taught me about myself in ways I never dreamed possible. I learned that I am much more independent than I ever knew, had even a stronger passion for art than I thought possible and have grown to appreciate my Indiana roots. I miss friendly Hoosier smiles, free refills, Christmas spirit and home cooked meals. I will also miss many things about Italy: the splendid art, decaying history surrounding me, true Italian pizza, and being able to simply pack a bag and go to a different country for a weekend. This experience will truly be an unforgettable one- teaching me about myself and the world around me. I would like to wrap up my experience in Italy with my personal mantra that has been serving as the subtitle for my blog throughout the semester. I believe that it perfectly sums up my experience overseas and also speaks to the way I try live my life. So in conclusion, as the great Mark Twain once said: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
However, Italy has not been the only stomping ground for my European adventures. I have gazed upon the idyllic scenery of Ireland, wandered the foothills of the Irish countryside alongside babbling brooks and watched traditional Irish folk dancing in Dublin. I have relaxed in an English pub, been in awe of the beautiful Westminster Abbey and zipped through the Underground like a true Londoner. I have shopped with the locals at the lively Christmas Market in Zurich, delighted myself in fried apples and the aromas of cinnamon and cider and strolled along the winding cobblestone paths dotted with tiny shops in Switzerland. I have drunk thick German beer as I cheered on an oompah band in the most popular beer hall in the world, the Hofbrauhas, in Munich. I have witnessed the splendor and insanity of Gaudi in the form of his dripping beauty, La Sagrada Famila, explored the perverse side of Pablo Picasso at the Picasso Museum and spent an entertaining evening enjoying authentic Spanish cuisine in a smoky restaurant in Barcelona. I have spent a leisurely evening with a glass of wine and a chocolate crepe at a Parisian café, surrounded myself with the masterpieces of Claude Monet in his large scale wall murals and experienced the glim surroundings of the imprisoned Marie Antoinette at the Conciergerie in Paris.
As a tourist, a traveling vagabond with the world at my feet and my life on my back, I have also had some interesting experiences. I have spent the night on a couch in the Dublin airport, struggled to sleep in a cramped overnight train, spent numerous evenings in communal hostels sharing rooms with strangers, attempted (and often failed) to stuff my belongings into a small backpack, been hit on by strange foreign men, paid way too much for a bottle of water and even lost my wallet. However, every experience has only added a chapter to my chronicle. Europe has not only fulfilled my yearning to travel and delighted my senses, but has also taught me about myself in ways I never dreamed possible. I learned that I am much more independent than I ever knew, had even a stronger passion for art than I thought possible and have grown to appreciate my Indiana roots. I miss friendly Hoosier smiles, free refills, Christmas spirit and home cooked meals. I will also miss many things about Italy: the splendid art, decaying history surrounding me, true Italian pizza, and being able to simply pack a bag and go to a different country for a weekend. This experience will truly be an unforgettable one- teaching me about myself and the world around me. I would like to wrap up my experience in Italy with my personal mantra that has been serving as the subtitle for my blog throughout the semester. I believe that it perfectly sums up my experience overseas and also speaks to the way I try live my life. So in conclusion, as the great Mark Twain once said: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
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