Like Dogs without Horses
Sometime during our first week in Italy, I decided to show my roommates one of my favorite stand-up comedians by the name of John Mulaney. Towards the beginning of his act, Mulaney tells the audience a story about how when he was ten years old he was in love with his babysitter Veronica, who he considered to be at least eighteen. He then surprises the crowd by saying Veronica was only thirteen at the time, leaving only a three year difference between the two! He then remarks that his parents had simply hired a slightly bigger child to babysit and follows up by wittingly stating how the situation was like getting a slightly bigger animal to watch a smaller animal; like a horse watching a dog.
Later on, Mulaney tells another story about how when he was a teenager in high school he attended a “wild party” where everyone he knew was there and everything seemed out of control;
We were like dogs without horses, we were running wild…
I feel like that statement pretty much sums up my experience while staying in Italy. That isn’t to say our group wasn’t supervised. I mean that the excitement of traveling combined with the newness of a foreign city created a kind of childlike sugar high within me. The second we landed I had to move and go and see everything that there was to see. I found that when I wasn’t in class, I was out navigating or exploring the highways and byways of the city.
As the Italian culture became less of a foreign concept and more of a new way of daily life, I quickly became accustomed to city life and conversing with the people living there. Likewise, I began to find joy in the little things throughout my new routine; such as hanging my clothes to dry in our open aired apartment or on the line, walking to the market to buy fruit, and buying a croissant every morning from the bakery on the corner.
More often then not, I would randomly smile at the prospect of becoming more like an Italian and less like a tourist. Almost daily I would purposefully try to appear as an Italian local to throw off tourists and the genuine locals alike! Which as the month progressed I was able to do successfully, with one American family believing my act completely! Life slowly evolved away from all things Texan and more towards what flavor gelato I would be having that day or thinking about when I should open the shutters to let the cool air in for the night. The city quickly found a place to nestle within my heart and I willingly let it.
Along with completely falling in love with Florence, our group was able to make several side trips to other cities around Tuscany. In particular, Cinque Terra stood out as my favorite! With its pebbled beaches and hill studded towns, I couldn’t help but feel a romantic feeling wash over me while being there. If ever given the chance, I would love to take my family on vacation there. Through a combination of its amazing views of the ocean and it’s crystal clear water, Cinque Terra truly is a paradise.
Yet the month flew by much faster than I’d originally anticipated. It felt like we had just arrived when I quickly found myself stuffing souvenirs into my bag and sitting on my suitcase to zip it for the flight home.
Reflecting back on the trip, I realize now that it is going to be one of those major events in my like that help to define me as a person. I learned so much, not only academically, but also about myself. Paralleling life while at college, we were expected to look after ourselves and find the things that we needed on our own. Responsibility quickly interwove itself into my daily routine, particularly within taking care of laundry, getting money and grocery shopping. Yet the difference was the slight twist of living in a foreign country, making life a little more challenging in regards to communication and travel.
As I look back over the month, there are only a few things I wish I would have done differently. When we first arrived, I had this unbelievable urge to go out and purchase everything I saw, mostly because I was afraid I would never see that particular item again. I treated everyday as if it was my last day, which can be a positive when you want to visit museums, but not so much when you have a limited amount of money to spend each day. I wish I would have budgeted better, rather than sporadically hoping I still had enough to get home. Another thing I wish I’d done differently would have been leaving more space in my suitcase for gifts and souvenirs! I ended up buying quite a bit for people and didn’t take into account that I might not have enough room for it all. I would look at how much things cost but not the size of what I was buying. Thankfully, after hours of playing Tetris with all my stuff, I ended up fitting everything into my suitcase and was able to actually close it!
Apart from all the nit picky things I would change, I had the best time just because I greeted the trip with an open heart! I welcomed each morning with joy for a new day, along with full expectation for adventure! It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I treasure every memory.
So my advice when traveling somewhere new would be to follow John Mulaney’s statement; “be a dog without a horse” and seek every moment for adventure!
Great post, Karli. Quite an experience! cts