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The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.

Ritu Ghatourey (via hplyrikz)

Clear your mind here

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lake como

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lake como

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weekend four, part one: lake como

yes, part one. this weekend we had friday as well as monday and tuesday off, with a scheduled program-wide trip to Cinque Terre from sunday to tuesday. so, we had two free days, and we had our sights set on Lake Como.

friday: we caught an early train and were there by 9 am. not much sleep happened the night before, so Tess and i decided to catch a quick nap before we took on the day. once we were conscious again we immediately headed out to explore and find somewhere to soak up the sun. winding through the narrow cobblestone roads we stumbled upon a charming piazza with a small church on one side, and a cafe sitting opposite. we stopped there for lunch and admired our surroundings, taking in the mood of the town. it was cleaner, quieter, and slower here than in Milan, all welcome changes. after that we walked down to the water, practically drooling over every enchanting dock and every beautiful boat bobbing on the slow rolling current. we walked for a long time, silently absorbing the environment. passing villas of European royalty and mansions converted into museums, we finally ran across a park with a pool, small beach, snack bar, and grass field. we paid the entry fee, and settled in on the grass. as hard as it was to believe that we paid to lay in the grass, i must say it was worth it. right on the lake, it was the perfect place to relax. after melting for a couple hours we started our walk back, which seemed increasingly long after the sun exposure and laziness we were now accustomed to. the rest of the night was slow, just dinner and strolling through the town. before long we were back in our beds, preparing for another day.

saturday: today we explored the surrounding town of Cernobbio. we took the ferry to get from place to place, and it was beautiful. i am perfectly happy on the water. Cernobbio was absolutely enchanting. quaint churches dotted the miniature skyline, and if a traveler remembered to look up, they would be rewarded with painted murals and carefully designed archways. we walked through every corner of that little town, and were never disappointed. but all too soon we were making our way back to the train station, and were back in Milan.

the raw beauty of the lake and mountains cutting through the man-made vistas held a charm and contrast that i could not get enough of. Lake Como was a quiet, relaxing respite from the hurried, clamored lifestyle in Milan.

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morocco

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morocco

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weekend three: a new continent

it is a unique thing to be able to satisfy your childhood dream on a whim, and this past weekend it happened. i’ve always wanted to go Morocco. the art and architecture have fascinated me for years, and i finally had the chance to go. originally, we were planning on Amsterdam, but when the forecast suggested it would be a rainy weekend we opted out.  so after staying up all night we caught a taxi at 4 am to go to the airport, and 6 hours later we were leaving our footprints on a new continent.

friday: due to time changes, we landed in Marrakesh at 7:25, and once we were finally through a very rigid customs process, we met our amazing air bnb host who drove us to our place. we got there at 8:15, dropped our stuff and rushed to the square where the agency would meet us for our camel riding tour. i’m not exaggerating when i say if we’d gotten there half a minute later we we would’ve been left behind. but fortunately we started the drive out of the city to the Sahara. we met our guides and our group over traditional Moroccan mint tea, and wandered out to meet the animals. the guides chose camels according to height and weight, and pointed me to the tallest, clumsiest one they had (it was only right). i swung my leg over and he lurched to a stand, and began marching through the Sahara. it was beautiful, barren, with a few clusters of palm trees dotting the landscape. i was disappointed to see power lines, and my mind chewed on man’s erosion of God’s creation. a little while later, we stopped for traditional Moroccan tea and cakes in a small village, where they played us music and encouraged us to dance with them. it was a genuine, colorful display of the culture, and i felt privileged to catch a glimpse of it. before too long we started the return journey, and all too soon we were dismounting our new awkward companions. we were brought back to the city, where Tess and i decided to grab a quick bite and head back to our place for the night. 

it is a shame, but we did not get to explore as much as i would’ve liked. one reason for this is we were visiting during Ramadan, and there were religious demonstrations and outbreaks among the people in addition to mosques and palaces closing for the religious holiday. Morocco was the first Muslim country that i had visited, and it was definitely out of my comfort zone. even in pants and long sleeves, we stood out from the crowd, and it felt like a target was on our backs. regardless of whether we were getting glares or winks, we certainly did not feel welcome. add the fact that we were two young blonde (the blonde thing is real, i was called hannah montana and britney spears by locals... i guess they’re a little behind in pop culture) women traveling by ourselves, and it seemed dicey to venture out too far. on the plus side, our place was stunning, with a rooftop garden with couches, lounges, lanterns and colorful pillows everywhere. every time we stepped into our place we immediately relaxed. it was our vacation from vacation. 

saturday: we booked a guided hike to Ouzoud Falls, the second tallest waterfall in Africa, and it was well worth it. we drove two hours to the destination, and were greeted by a very enthusiastic man. he had grown up there his whole life, and so knew every tip and trick to the excursion. he took us down a steep, dusty path that wound through Berber villages to the falls. winding through fig trees and creeks, huts and reed fences, we arrived at the falls. looking up at it was incredible. before too long we were itching to get in the water, and our guide showed us the best cliffs to jump. after leaping and flipping off every cliff we could, we enjoyed some fresh orange juice and sat out to dry. in ten minutes our hair was dry and we were burnt...not exactly built for those UVs. we got dressed and hiked to the base of the waterfall, it was powerful. thirty feet away and still sprayed with mist, we took it all in. after feeling adequately small in the face of creation we pressed forward to meet the monkeys. dubbed “wild but friendly,” they swung from trees and hopped on my head with no hesitation. more and more appeared until i had one on my head and another climbing up my leg, and all i could do was laugh. they were adorable and playful and silly and i love them. i felt like a little girl again.

that’s something that travel has brought back to me. it has matured me, of course, but it has also given me the ability to completely let go. in those moments of sheer joy and awe and discovery, everything melts away. suddenly i’m laughing all by myself at the moment i’m in, because it’s perfect, and i know it’s from Him. 

the monkeys were our last stop, and we made our way back to the car for the return trip. once back at our place we had dinner and packed up for our early flight home.

this is the first weekend that i was able to say i was completely out of my comfort zone, and i loved it. travel is not about finding the most glamorous, groomed horizons, it is about experiencing true culture. social and religious statutes influence art and architecture in Morocco so clearly, and it was enlightening. women are completely covered, and only show themselves to their husband. this value of unique beauty is reflected in the architecture of palaces and houses alike. on the outside, buildings are plan and standard, but once inside, the guest beholds colorful tiles, tapestries, flowers, and lanterns. beauty is a treasure, it is personal, it is precious. i would like to live more like this. taking in the arid landscapes and colorful ornamentation of Morocco was truly one of the richest experiences of my life.

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monaco, monte carlo

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menton, france

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weekend two: the french riviera

it is so incredibly easy to get swept away with travel and convince yourself that if you don’t schedule your weekends down to the minute that you will have wasted time and a pang of regret on your hands. this weekend was a welcome reminder that every once in a while, you have to slow down. so to get a dose of respite and fade our under-eye bags, Tess and i were off again, this time to The French Riviera.

friday: as it so often does, our travel plans didn’t pan out as planned. we sprinted to our train in Milan Centrale (central train station) and fortunately slipped through the doors with 20 seconds to spare. however, we ended up missing our stop in Menton, France, where we were staying for a fourth of the price of Monaco, which is a mere 10 minute bus ride away. in fact, this is where we got off the train. our ears were kissed by sweet french accents swirling through the air and our noses tickled by the smell of flowers from our first steps in a new country. we were in love. we found the bus and finally arrived at our small but surprisingly comfortable studio apartment situated conveniently 500m from the beach of Menton. 

our first mission was dinner. accustomed to life in italy, we supposed that at 10pm there would be rows of restaurants to choose from to satisfy our hollow stomachs. little did we know that there is a pronounced concentration of elderly people in Menton, so this was far from the case. it seemed not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, until finally we came across a pizzeria that had lights on and door open. with 5 minutes until close, we met our first french locals who were kind enough to make us 2 large, “cinq fromage” pizzas, and kindly offered and opened a bottle of wine. it was encouraging to be able to conduct comfortable french conversation, a stark contrast from my fragmented italian interactions. we exchanged “bon soir’s” and headed back to dip our feet in the pool while we ate. it was the perfect beginning to the weekend.

saturday: if you want to feel rested, go to a small town in the south of France. after a concerted effort we peeled ourselves from bed and headed to the beach. it’s a good thing Tess possesses my affinity for a good coast, as we were both entirely content with spending a good part of the day laying and reading and swimming and laying once again, a most beautiful cycle. once we had had our fill of UV, we headed back to the apartment, admired the deepened tone of our skin with pathetic enthusiasm, and got ready for dinner. donning sundresses and heels, we decided to fill a void that our delicious but carb-loaded Italian diet had yet to fill: red meat. walking straight to the water, we settled on a place with a stunning view of the beach and surrounding coast, each ordered a steak and a strawberry mojito, and sat back to enjoy the evening breeze and eccentric people-watching (picture a man and a dog on a segway. it happened). after a delightfully slow and equally satisfying meal, we seemed to have adopted the lifestyle of the locals, and were entirely ready for bed at 9:00pm. with bellies full of steak and chocolate “surprise,” we headed back to our apartment and spent our last hours of the day in PJs, asking each other questions about life back home until our words trailed off and our eyes surrendered to sleep.

sunday: after accumulating an incredible volume of sleep over the past days, we were ready for Monaco. Tess and I dressed up and caught a bus into town as soon as we could. after forgoing breakfast in our excitement, we stepped off the bus and began to wander the streets. Monaco is a peculiar oasis, a heavenly combination of material luxury and dramatic terrain. it seemed that every other minute a Maserati, Aston Martin, Porsche, Lamborghini, or Ferrari would zip through the winding avenues. we didn’t make it long until we had to stop for lunch, and decided yet again to eat on the water. we ran across a seemingly humble place on the marina, only to be greeted by a hostess who led us upstairs to a beautiful terrace with a coveted view. after ordering for us en Francais, again i were in awe of our destination. in a city like Monaco, in a restaurant like that, it is hard to not feel like a character, especially with my dramatic tendencies. that day, we were the beautiful girls in the floppy hats, Monaco was our natural habitat, and it felt marvelous. after by far the best meal of the trip so far and pestering our poor waiter for a couple cliche photographs, we returned outside and explored the marina. to put it simply: if your yacht doesn’t have 3 decks, it stands out...in the negative sense. humbling and beautiful as it was, i find this kind of wealth somewhat chilling. i wonder if each owner reveres his loved ones as much as his boat, if his boulevard to success was rooted in truth or deception, and reflect on the trivial nature of the virtually inflated power of men. nonetheless, we appreciated our posh surroundings, but returned to Menton for the rest of the day.

with two hours to go, we squeezed in another beach session. we said goodbye (for now) to the Mediterranean and our beloved sleepy French town, and headed back to Milan.

this weekend was a well rounded experience of rich and quaint, reinforcing my belief that the sweetest experiences can be found in the most common interactions. unfortunately, Milan can be a cold, busy, inconsiderate host, and the kindness of the people in Menton was a welcome change. it was the warmth of the residents and the honey in the air that made this a weekend to remember, outshining the riches of Monaco. the sweet lady with a kind face who complimented my French accent, not the silver platters weaving through a ritzy terrace. it is this perspective that becomes so battered by the values of common men, and that i am determined to keep close as my days go by.

ask me about: Menton check-in, motorcycles, hair salons

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rome, italy

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florence, italy

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weekend one: another day, another duomo

this weekend marked the beginning of my true adventures across the pond. in 54 hours i saw Rome and Florence, and it was every bit as stunning as i had thought it to be. in spite of the impromptu nature of the excursion (my roommate Tess and i booked everything we needed 2 hours before departure), by some miracle we pulled it off. before we knew it we were on a train to Rome, somehow thoroughly flustered and entirely and overwhelmingly excited all at the same time. 

the second we stepped off of the train and began to walk to our hotel, we ran across a religious parade of some kind. bishops and priests and nuns and monks peppered the streets, accompanied by bands and children and statues and roses. in that moment the reality set in, we were really in Rome. 

friday night: Tess, Jonah and I got all dressed up and went out to have dinner. the minute we got off of the metro stop we were greeted with the faint crashing of water in the distance. intrigued by the sound, we walked as fast as our heels and cobblestone streets would allow, and soon enough we were beholding the Trevi Fountain. we stood there for a few minutes, trying to catch a glimpse between the heads of a thousand strangers filling the piazza. finally, we decided our night was to be spent here, after the crowd had subsided. we left for a typical italian dinner of pasta with an equally cliched and well-seasoned tourist-friendly waiter, and eagerly awaited our check so we could return to the fountain. after dinner, we grabbed a bottle of champagne and got settled. we were there until 3:00 am, and i believe those were some of my hours best spent in Rome. this is what is so beautiful to me: that so many people come from around the world to wish in this beautifully historic and strikingly artistic monument. modern life continues in the presence of ancient creation, connected by the common desire that with the flick of a wrist throwing a single coin it will inch them closer to what they truly want. thinking of how many stories have been woven together in that well gives me hope, that people do still have the capacity to wish, to hold on to the faintly naive innocence that is so commonly suffocated by our world, and to believe that someday their might come true.

saturday: tackling Rome in a day is no small feat. in spite of our late activity the night before, we were up and standing in the line for St. Peter’s by 9:00 am. once inside, we were taken aback. details, murals, domes, and sculptures galore. we roamed the sanctuary, taking in as much as we could before we knew we had to move on. we then proceeded to climb to the top of the dome, and 558 steps later, we were not disappointed. a sweeping, 360 degree of one of the most beautiful cities in the world was our perfect reward. these views simply cannot be described, they beg to be experienced. i lack the words to tell you what it feels like to stand at the top St. Peter’s Basilica, i can only tell you that if you haven’t already, you have to go. much too soon, we had to leave Vatican city to see the next site: the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. we wove our way out of the metro stop and were mere feet (meters if i’m being european) away from both. with a knowledge of the history of these sites, setting foot in them was a pleasure and a gift not only of knowledge and perspective but of respect for those who have gone before us. so many people have stumbled their way through life, and somehow the compilation of these entirely chaotic lives have eroded and shaped the world into the culture in which we now live. so yes, the Roman Forum was dominant and beautiful, and the Colosseum was a postcard-perfect snapshot of a glorious day of tourism, but the history of it all is what makes these great works of architecture, art, and civilization worthwhile. after lunch, we wandered through the city, encountering a towering monument to Vittorio Emanuelle. it is this sort of accidental greatness that is so characteristic of Rome. unfold a map, plop down a finger and i promise there is a destination nearby. deciding to bookend our trip with trips to the Trevi Fountain, we returned to the place that had stolen our hearts the night before. our final hours were spent here, with gelato in hand and the lack of Tess’ pickpocketed wallet, healthily reminding us that each day is never quite what you expect it to be at the break of dawn. after sitting there until every spare second was spent, we hurried to the station and trained off to Firenze.

sunday: a sweet return to my once favorite place in the world: Florence. the smaller, slower pace of living was a welcome respite from our hurried day in Rome, and even through a more relaxed itinerary, Florence was not short on charm. after a quick gelato breakfast (sorry, mom), we headed off to Palazzo Vecchio. returning to the very same museums of the Medici dynasty that I had visited with my family years earlier, I was struck with a realization of my growth since I had first beheld the sights of Florence. i will forever feel a sweet nostalgia for this city, where i fell in love with Italy, with Europe, and with adventure. after visiting these museums, and the Ponte Vecchio bridge, we headed to Piazza della Repubblica. we sat in that square for our last hours, sipping mimosas, listening to children play on the merry-go-round and the enchanting street musicians, and recounted the sweetest memories from the weekend. before we knew it, the beautiful blue sky and afternoon air had passed to whisk us back to our bus stop, and back to Milan. 

and so, after a flurry of history and memories old and new, we were back in our apartment, and we were already plotting our next adventure.

ask me about: FlixBus, Hotel Albergo, the local market, Miu Miu

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overdue

so a week later, here i am, moved into my new apartment, and beginning to stumble through everyday life in a foreign country. in spite of the language barrier, i’m convinced everything is perfect here (minus the eating at 9pm thing). 

my roommates are Tess, Caralyn, Jessi, Rebecca, and Kari, with our community assistant Elena. they’re amazing, and i’m so excited to take on this summer with them. i haven’t met someone here i don’t click with, so that’s wildly encouraging and entirely new. the IES staff is incredible, and has been so welcoming, positive, and informative about life and work in Italy. turns out i work with another Hoosier at my internship, and as much as I came here to escape my routine, i’m happy to have him. 

highlight: we were sent on a race to see who could find their internship first, so Carter and i set out to find Banale. if you know me, you know i am abysmal with directions, and he is no better. couple that with a foreign language and 83762 forms of public transportation, and we were doomed. but here’s the silver lining: as we were fumbling with maps and compasses and other ridiculous markings of tourists, we looked up and were graciously rewarded with the beautiful fortress of Milan. we ended up stowing the maps and exploring. we spent hours peering into every crevice, and continued to find ruins and relics from historic Italy. this is the beauty of Europe: history. it is so incredibly rich with art and literature and markings of great men that you practically trip over them when you get out of bed in the morning. 

lago maggiore: the most beautiful lake i have ever had the privilege of visiting. even when the rain was inescapable and i was romping around soaked to the bone, it was perfect. the clouds sat on the hills and enveloped the entire lake, irrevocably ethereal. the area is comprised of three main islands: isola madre, isola dei pescatori, and the largest and most beautiful, isola bella. the first, “the mother island,” is inhabited by a classical palazzo filled with quirky, terrifying marionettes and an extensive garden complete with a colorful, quaint chapel. the second, “the fishermen’s island,” is much more simple in nature, but beautiful in its own right. sweet and charming, it is full of shops and restaurants, boats and narrow streets, all woven together with cobblestone pavement. last of all, “the beautiful island,” is everyone’s favorite, myself included. it is dominated by a wickedly ornate castle, with the most beautiful, rich botanical gardens i’ve ever seen. white peacocks dotted an enormous fountain dedicated to Poseidon, and i can truly say i had to pinch myself. i’ve got to say, strolling through high-ceilinged castles isn’t the worst way to catch a break from the rain.  

all in all, the first week of my program has been a raging success, and i’m beginning to appreciate that soon enough this fantasy will have slipped through time to only a memory. i intend to live every day with the intention to learn and to grow. because at the end of the day, the chances you take will have you remembering the silver linings in spite of the neverending rain.

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Well, I've made it safe and not quite sound to Milan. It's true what they say, that you should expect obstacles when you travel abroad. So far, I have survived 2 massive foreign airports, credit card mishaps, my clumsy Italian communication, and 3 days away from home. I'd like to say I don't miss anyone nearly as much as I'd thought, but I'm counting on the blues to fade as my schedule picks up and I grow more accustomed to life over here. In these early days I am learning to cherish the small silver linings. So far they have been my taxi driver giving me safety tips and a caramel because I have blue eyes, the enormous generosity and hospitality of my current host, Olga, and communication from those I love most. Cons aside, I am so excited to get planted here, have some authentic Italian pasta, and begin the real adventure when my program begins.