Riflessioni
This year was the most challenging, frustrating, exhilarating & horizon-broadening year I’ve ever had. The world is so much bigger than I ever imagined. Living abroad is completely different from just vacationing, because you aren’t just taking a whirlwind tour of the biggest and best known spots, you really get into the routine of another culture. And that’s the most valuable thing I’ve ever experienced. Go figure, there’s places I love outside of California. One thing is for sure, the travel bug definitely bit me this year and I’m now infected with a serious case of wanderlust. I can’t wait to stretch my legs again in the big, open world.
But perhaps the most important thing I learned was how to let go of expectations. One thing I love about Italy and Europe in general is the go with the flow attitude that permeates. This year taught me that I cannot control the outcome of every situation and sometimes that unpredictability leads to the most beautiful experiences. The future is uncontrollable, unpredictable and yes, sometimes a scary shadowy abyss; but that is the best thing about it. Life is meant to be lived moment to moment. Each moment missed because of worrying about the next is a missed opportunity. Adventure & experience are calling!
I’ve slipped back into my California life almost seamlessly. If it weren’t for the pictures, memories & people from this year I might be left wondering if it really all happened or if I was dreaming. I think I’ll miss the little things most. Being able to walk everywhere. Trying to speak Italian. Shopping in Sant’Ambrogio market. Rooftop potluck dinners with friends. Sketching in the statue garden or wherever else I felt like stopping. People watching in the park. Weekend jaunts to exotic cities. And the lightest class load I’ve ever taken. OK, so maybe those last two aren’t so little.
Thank you so much for any blog/photo following. I greatly appreciated the support & long distance love.
I’m not ready to say goodbye to this whole tumblr-blogging thing though. I’ve quite enjoyed it so if you feel like continuing to follow me, I’ve started another just for daily life, loves & fifth year (eek) at misscaitlindarling.tumblr.com.
L’Ultimo Viaggio Europeo
guess who finally finished unpacking & uploading photos? well, that’d be me in case you were confused. my third week back in the good ol’ usa is drawing to a close and i figured it was time to round this here blog off. so a short recap of how i spent june…..
Dublin & Galway, Ireland: two of the most beautiful places i’ve ever seen, dublin being cool & foggy, galway being sunny & quaint. the irish are the friendliest people i have ever met. while trying to find the start of our walking tour, mariel and i got lost in dublin and multiple locals pointed us along the right streets as soon as we unfolded our map. they also have delicious food, beautiful art & music & some of the greenest countryside i’ve ever seen. i looked for a leprechaun, but alas no luck in rainbows so no luck in little green men. i am so proud to know that this country is the root of my heritage. bonus? the starbucks people spelled my name correctly for the first time ever, huzzah mom & dad for traditional irish spelling :)
Edinburgh & Loch Ness/Highlands: part 2 of summer tour, i stopped over in scotland, and not just to eat shortbread. although i did do that in the elephant house where jk rowling wrote part of the harry potter series. i had a splendid, if chilly, time exploring one of the most picturesque cities i’ve been to all year. but really, i was double dressing again & it was JUNE. as much as i enjoyed scotland, the people and their accents, there is no way i could live somewhere that i needed to put leggings under my jeans in summer. one of my favorite things i did was a day trip up to loch ness & through the highlands. it was definitely a trek, but also infinitely worth it, the mountains & lakes were breathtaking.
“and up ahead you’ll see the famous scott’sh har’y coos” “the what?” “look there, y’see the har’y coos!” “oh, ohhhhh, hairy cows. got it.”
Istanbul, Turkey: my first non ryanair flight in months was so nice, thank you british airways! i met up with laura for a few blisteringly hot (after wintry scotland) days enjoying exotic istanbul. seeing the haggia sophia & the blue mosque was so powerful, those structures are so incredibly unique and ancient you can’t help but be awed. we spent most of our time getting lost in the grand bazar & spice markets though :)
Athens & Santorini, Greece: i finally got to see my family again! and in greece no less. as amazing as it was to finally be with them again, the best part was taking a shower in that 4 star hotel after being in hostels for two weeks. athens was the headquarters for stray dogs, leather sandals & really really really old ruins. like i thought rome was ruin-y, but its got nothing on athens. once we landed in santorini & got to our hotel (thats the view from our terrace under the acropolis) it was clear why greece’s flag is blue & white. we spent three days wandering white washed buildings on cliffsides, looking at the caldera & sailing, swiming & trying not to get sunburt in the mediteranean ocean.
Rome, Venice, Cinque Terre, & Florence, Italy: of course we had to take a tour of my adoptive country. we hit all the big sights & i got to say a last goodbye to the scorching & humid florence. aside from major family bonding (with minimal bickering, go us!), new this time around for me was actually being able to explore rome a bit. we saw the catacombs, wandered trastevere neighborhoods and ate at local restaurants recomended by our private tour guide. what can i say? traveling with my parents is like living in luxury after student budget trips all year. in venice we made the trip out to murano, the glass island where mom bought a beautiful handmade traditional vase, then burano the lace island to see some rainbow buildings & lace making. i also finally got to take a gondola ride! although its not as exciting as just getting lost in the watery city. our stay in monterosso was my first time in cinque terre, finally! and i’m glad i saved something to share with just the family. we had a wonderful time exploring somewhere new together. our first night in town was john the babtist day, there were 45 minutes worth of fireworks over the ocean (deafening when they echo over that & bounce off the cliffs) & thousands of lanterns floating out on the waves. we did hike all 5 towns, but we were a little snippy by the end of the day (it was really hot). the oceanside time the next day though was wonderful & made me realize how much i take the beach access in SLO for granted. we had a sweaty blast walking around the city together. i enjoyed showing my people my favorite nooks and cranies, from the best gelato spots to just sitting on the steps at piazzale michelangelo. we even managed to get a free evening in the ufizzi. saying goodbye to florence wasn’t as sweet or heartfelt as it should have been simply because the heat/humidity was INSANE. i wasn’t exactly sad to see it go to be honest. i’m suffering from withdrawls now that i’ve slipped back into my california life though.
A Dopo Firenze
its not the real goodbye yet, just see you later. i’ll be back after i see dublin, galway, edinburgh, istanbul, athens, santorini, rome, venice & cinque terre. so now is not the time for tears & farewells, just a little break. see you in 29 days. & see you california in 33 :)
taste-tastic
italy has forever changed the way my tastebuds react to cappuccino, pizza, ice cream & pasta, not to mention spumante & wine <3
Fiesole
florence has been unbearably hot the last few days so dana & i went up to finally see the tiny town of fiesole in the hope of some gelato & a stronger breeze. while we didn’t find gelato, we did get a bit of a breeze on top of the hill & a great panorama of the city sprawled below us.
mercato di sant’ambrogio
one of my favorite places in florence. i just love the atmosphere, the energy, the sounds, the smells (most of the time) & the mix of people. plus its home to the most delicious produce i’ve ever tasted.
