What a day… I ended up sleeping on the floor of my cabin after discovering just how uncomfortable the pullman seats are. To my surprise once I hit the floor, using my backpack for a pillow and jacket for a blanket, I slept like a baby. Not for too long though… At 5:55 I awoke to the deep sways of the ship. The sunrise! It took a split second debating with myself on the “comfort” of the floor, but I soon…
I look off into the distance and see the Lighthouse of Genova flashing every few seconds, almost as a woman bidding farewell to her beloved at sea. Every wave from Genova hits my heart with a mix of feelings. I really do love that city. The ship I’m taking to Sardinia is actually quite nice! I’m traveling on Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) Rhapsody from Genova to Porto Torres. We left the port of Genova around 20:15 and are scheduled to…
On the road again and the adventurous feeling in my heart greets me once more… I left Genova yesterday. I was so comfortable and that city felt like a home base for me. It was so nice and such an incredible experience, and I will miss it very much. But now, as I write this on a train from Legnano back to Genova to catch a ferry to Sardinia, not quite knowing what the hell lies ahead; the exciting feeling…
And just like that, it’s over… Having worked in a hostel for the past two & a half weeks with new travelers arriving every day and leaving the next, you become pretty accustomed and quite good at saying goodbye. But nothing prepared me for my own… The past few weeks have honestly been my favorite during the almost two months in Italy. I met the most incredible people, all walks of life from all corners of the world; listened to…
One thing that traveling and meeting people from all over the world has done for me is shown me the importance of language and communication. Out of all the volunteers at the hostel in Genova, I’m the only one who speaks one language fluently. Yes, granted I am studying Italian and I’m knowledgeable about the language, but I’m surely not fluent yet. There is almost a passion about learning languages from everyone that I meet; it’s very inspiring to me….
I’ve always fantasized about the idea. It’s an entertaining subject to ponder over while traveling, but I never entirely took the idea seriously. And then I met her… It was so easy. There’s a simple quote from one of my favorite books written by Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises, where one of the characters describes the way he lost his fortune; “Two ways. Gradually and then suddenly.” – Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises I arrived in Genoa, got…
Genoa’s beauty isn’t for the faint-hearted. The city is beautiful, but not in the traditional sense… Walking through the old city streets, you feel as if you are walking through the remanence of a once glorious republic. The Victorian, almost French inspired architecture on every street corner is charmingly scarred by amateur street graffiti and lack of upkeep. As you get closer to the port and the streets become narrower, the faces you pass become more and more diverse; proving…
My month here in Siena is just about over; only two nights left. I have the second part of my final exam at University tomorrow, then the next day I’m out. The unknown of what’s happening next is both an exciting and a terrifying prospect that’s been staring me in the face since the beginning of August. What will I do next month? I spent some time looking for a September job on a website called www.workaway.info, where you can find…
It’s always a great feeling when the locals stop treating you like a tourist. It took me about three weeks to feel like a local here. Siena is a small town, I feel like it should have been easy enough… I first felt it while sitting on the steps of Il Duomo one day this week, people watching. I was relaxed… not a relaxed that I’ve encountered before… but relaxed… Relaxed like it was a lifestyle. I think I’ve found…
I’ve never felt such a sense of community than among the Sienese during Il Palio. A week before the race, one by one, the streets began to show the colors of their contrada. I live in la contrada dell’istrice, sporting the colors red, white, blue, & black, with the the figure of a hedgehog (istrice) in the center of the common flag. It’s kinda funny, living in Siena I knew what contrada I lived in, however I never knew where…