Home is a Park Bench

Unfortunately Italy has passed me by without having much down time to reflect in writing. Having TJ by my side was a great way to live in the moment and reflect together verbally. In Florence, we had a precious night along the water with the rest of the community. It was a national holiday to celebrate Saint John, so we joined in for a late night celebration with fireworks. We sat along with river with our feet dangling over the side of the ledge and eating gelato. An Italian family was close by and the young daughter oohed and awhed as any young person would do. We felt completely a part of a community so different than ours but yet also so similar. Venice itself was a dream. From the second we arrived our jaws were dropped. It was exactly as we imagined; river filled streets and labyrinth tight pathways. The first night we sat at a river and drank a common Italian cocktail; a spritz. Both of us reflected together about the sheer magnitude of where we were and how amazing it truly was. As the sun set, I never felt more in the moment of my own life. TJ and I kept looking at each other with smiles on our faces and saying, “We’re in VENICE!” The next day we took a boat to a little island called Burano. The island was famous for its bright colored buildings and quaint shops. We immediately felt like Dorothy walking into the painted world of Oz. Every single building was completely coated in ocean blue or pastel pink. We walked the streets hand in hand and constantly reminded eachother that it felt like a fairytale. After Venice, we went to Genoa. Here we decided to have a beach day. The small beach of bocadessa was so different from our own! It was made of small rocks and was curved to the shape of the ocean. The rock sand itself only stretched as far as the little alcove between the towering buildings. It was fun to lay there and swim with the local people. From there, we went to the port and sat along the waters edge watching the boats. We shared a bottle of wine and listened to music with my headphones. Some were love songs and some were old rock memories of our past that made us laugh, but either way we felt like we were in our own secret world of music. We sat on that park bench until late at night. We didn’t talk much but our happiness was palpable. It was fun to be so public yet so private all at once. Traveling yet at home. I think that is the definition of Italy for me; a place so beautiful it felt like a fairytale and home all at the same time. Every view and moment was fresh in my mind like it was happening for the first time but my heart was content throughout. My adrenaline pumped with each new city and my hairs stood on end with excitement, but my overall feeling of peace remained throughout. Having TJ with me may have facilitated that, but I also think that is just another realization of travel. Everywhere is new and exciting and your heart is constantly changing. Every new experience changes you as a person in little tiny ways. You learn lessons and understand more cultures. Every new food and new conversation grows your heart in different ways. It’s amazing to feel this realty when traveling. I hadn’t slowed down enough to feel myself truly changing with each new memory. I finally felt my change in happiness and overall love of life. It was amazing to live in that feeling and grow into it even more. Italy was full of new experiences, a ton of amazing food, and lots of stunning views I have never seen, but all the while it felt like it was just another part of me. I could feel myself growing and changing and it was the best feeling to acknowledge. To be completely in the moment is a feeling we do not often dwell in. I’m so grateful to have visited a country so high on my bucket list and with a man so fun and easy to travel with. Sometimes you have to go across the country to find yourself at “home”.