I had a countdown going for this trip since day four-hundred-and-something. To say I was excited to go on my second study abroad trip was probably the biggest understatement of the year. With everything going on in my life this school year, it served as a good distraction to force myself to forget about the trip, as hard as that may have been. Once the school year finally ended, I changed gears, and all I could think about was being in Italy and Greece. It still did not seem real to me that I would soon be embarking on another trip of a lifetime. Packing is never fun, but I knew the sooner I packed, the better it would be. So, if I forgot something, I gave myself time to remember it. I made piles and an assembly line for myself as I ironed, folded, and packed everything. Looking at my living room floor, it looked excessive, but I knew what I was doing. And just like that, and a week early, I was all set. My suitcase and Vera Bradley bag were ready to grace their way to the airport. The day leading up to my departure date went by as slow as molasses. It seemed like no matter what I did or where I went, time stood still and only minutes had passed. It felt like I had put a full day in, but it was only noon. I knew going to bed and trying to fall asleep was going to be a challenge. When that time finally came to force myself to sleep, the only option I saw was to watch a movie, and as juvenile as it may be, my pick was The Lizzie McGuire Movie. All of my childhood dreams came flooding back when the opening song started playing. To think that the next day would mark the beginning of my stay in Italy made the nostalgia of hoping to follow my dreams to go just as Lizzie McGuire did, made my seven-year-old heart happy. I also knew my chances of meeting a pop-star-look-alike was slim, but I could still dream. And with the closing song, “this is what dreams are made of,” I drifted into my dreams and awoke to the day I had been waiting for. Friday finally came. I took my time getting ready because I knew it was going to be a long time before I would be back and showering in my own shower (what a luxury). I threw in the last couple of things in my carry on that I could not pack ahead of time and did one last sweep through the house just to make sure I had not forgotten something. My dad loaded my bags into the truck, and we left to go pick up fellow travelers to have our last American breakfast together. After a lovely morning, we set out for the airport. My excitement was mounting. To see sixty-six people board a plane who were all going to the same place and for the same reason was incredible. Our first flight got us to Frankfurt, Germany. We landed early in the morning, so when we got to our gate for the next flight, I found myself a seat, and I perched myself there like a zombie during that layover. There is a picture to prove my zoned-out existence. I never said traveling was glamorous or excessively exciting at four-something in the morning. The journey to this travel experience began on Friday, but the real adventure began the minute we landed in Venice on Saturday. Having been to Venice before, I was looking forward to picking up where I had left off. Venice was and is as pretty as I remembered it. Seeing Venice literally in a new light made my heart happy. The first day in Venice made me worry because of the weather, but the next day brought nothing but sunshine, unlike the previous trip. During some free time, I was sitting on the steps around the perimeter of St. Marco’s Square. The pigeons are fearless there. A sweet, older gentleman was throwing bread to the area I was sitting in, but at the time, I could not see where it was coming from. My friends and I were still oblivious from our tiredness. We finally caught the man in the act, and we all got some good laughs. The man and his wife have probably done this friendly bird banter a hundred times, but to have this pigeon invasion at our feet was a good welcome to Venice. Our group tour gave us the opportunity to hit the common places a tourist must see while on an abbreviated stay in Venice. Being back at the Doge’s Palace felt right. Even though much of what I saw was a repeat, it amazed me when I realized how much still seemed new to me. A city guided tour added a new experience for me in Venice. It took us through the winding alleys of the city, and I saw parts of the city I have never seen before. As much as I hated juggling a whisper box and my camera all while maintaining my ability to pay attention, I did enjoy the history of every city, but I am getting ahead of myself here. A trip to Venice would not be complete without a ride on a gondola. It could be considered a sin to visit a city known for its canals and not hop on a gondola, driven by a gondolier, and see the city from the waterways. It was so relaxing, and it was a perfect seal on our days in Venice. Venice is a place I could visit every year and not get tired of it. There is so much to see, and it is impossible to see everything in one visit. Since it is nearly impossible to maneuver one person’s luggage through the narrow ways of Venice, let alone all sixty-six of our luggage, we stayed in a town just out from Venice called Jesolo. We were in walking distance to a beach with a pier. On our last night, some of us decided to walk down there to snap some photos of the sunset. There is something so relaxing about walking in the sand and having waves from the Adriatic Sea wash over our feet at sunset. The following morning was a chance to see a Venetian sunrise to perfectly pair it with the previous night’s sunset. It was also our time to bid Venice a farewell. My time spent in Venice was only the first stop of many on this grand adventure. I do not claim to have seen it all, but I hope to someday. So, look out world. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2017
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
July 2019
|