Things I Learned in Italy

If someone where to ask you what the most dangerous think you've done by choice was, what would you say? Would you have an answer?

Well, someone asked ME that question last night, and for once, I actually had an answer. Just a month ago I honestly don't know how I would have answered the question, but last night I knew exactly how to answer the question: going to Italy.

Before I get to the why part, I must first share with you the excitement I have over even having an answer to this question. You see, all of my life I've played it safe. I do the right thing, think things over before I make a decision, wait until all the pieces fit, yadda, yadda, yadda. Part of me loves the thrill of trying things other people are not willing to do, like eat menudo and sit on a public toilet without the paper (oops, wasn't supposed to say that, and no, the two are not related). However, those aren't exactly what I would call "adventurous".

I also love traveling and experiencing new things but until Italy, I'd never really done it on my own timeline with no real knowledge of what I was doing. I visited my sister once in Bolivia (i.e. the armpit of the world), but even there she knew where to go and what to do (i.e. cook eggs and banana bread on her patio-kitchen and watch episodes of 'The Real Housewives of Orange County' on my iPod while trying to heat a small room with our own body heat snuggled under a blanket).

My sister in the Patio-Kitchen

Me & Charango (Bolivian claim to fame?)

Italy, on the other hand, was a total adventure and leap of faith. By the time my travel-buddy and I left for our trip we had been planning for about 9 months. We took things one at a time, starting out slowly with looking into things to do and places to go, determining which cities we'd grace our presence with, then moving on to buying plain, train, and museum tickets. The planning and coordinating became more and more intense as the months went on. Even the week before we left was filled with last minute details, emails to family, final research and reservations, multiple trips to Target and very specific packing of my carryon that would soon become my dresser, bathroom drawer, small closet, and place to rest my bum. It basically became my miniature traveling apartment.

With our mini-apartments before we left; very ignorant 

The thing is though, with all our planning and coordinating, we really had NO IDEA what we were doing. We read books and received plenty of information from friends and co-workers who had traveled there, but there is nothing that will really prepare you for a trip like that. And we knew it.
I could go on and on and on with stories about things we did and saw. Walking through cities and experiencing the things we did, I couldn't comprehend how anyone could NOT enjoy Italy. Seriously, there is something there for everyone. There was the time we got stuck on a tour causing us to almost miss our first train out of Rome, the night we had nowhere to sleep and almost ended up sleeping next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa (literally), the dozens of times we got lost, the changes in plans, walking paths that ended without warning, the boats, the trains, the buses....and everything in between. I'm doing quite a terrible job expressing to you the amount of adventure we experienced, but like I said, there is just too much to share in a single post.

The night we almost slept at the Leaning Tower of Pisa

How we felt about almost sleeping at the Leaning Tower of Pisa 

In the midst of this incredible adventure, in the midst of huge failures and successes, we survived. We got to where we wanted to go and each place we arrived at brought a huge sense of relief...we did it!

With each goal or destination we faced a new obstacle that brought new anxieties and forced us to cope in new ways. If at home you "learn something new every day", then in a foreign country I think you must learn 500 new things every day. No. Joke.

In the midst of it

The thing is though, by the end of the trip I couldn't help but think to myself, "If I can do this, I can do anything." No. Joke.

And so here I am, a month later, having to remind myself that I can do anything. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can I know I can, I know I can, I know I can. Going on this trip took a huge leap of faith and the willingness to try something new, knowing it would be really good, but really difficult in the process. I didn't know what "difficult" would look like, but I was willing to work through it in order to see and experience things I knew were a once in a lifetime opportunity. Simply stated, I was not willing to miss out on life because of fear. And it was totally worth it.

Exhausted (thanks C)...

...but totally worth it.

Like I said, I can do anything, and it's about time to take another leap of faith. I know I can, I know I can, I know I can. 

Boat tour of Capri at the end of our trip, a lot less naive

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

What's My Story?

I haven't really shared this blog with many people. If I did, I'd probably have more readers. Go figure.

I just told my roommate/BFFL (Best Friend For Life...yes it's an official title) that I have a blog/website. I've shared it with only a few others (i.e. my sisters), probably out of fear that I am a terrible blogger, writer, and have nothing interesting to say and no stories to tell. While I consider myself a good communicator, I do not consider myself a great storyteller. I'm still not sure if it's because I have no stories to tell, or if I'm just not seeing the stories worth telling.

There has been a lot of conversation at work lately about writing your own story. "You are the lead character in your own story." While that's fine and dandy, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Ok, ok, I know what it means, but that's a little daunting. If I am the lead in my story and my story kind of sucks, then that's my own fault. I have no one to blame, and we all know it's nice to have someone to blame things on. Don't hate--you know it's true.

I'm think I am in the beginning of my story. Setting the groundwork and building the character. I'd say that's what the 20's are all about. But I'm also getting to that point, I think, where I'm ready to take the first step towards whatever story I am trying to tell. Sure, character development will continue to happen, but a story isn't a story without a plot, and definitely without stepping into that plot. So, here I am, wanting to step into my plot, but having NO IDEA what that plot is. Do I write it? Is the Big Guy Upstairs writing it? Do I let it happen? Can I change direction in the middle? I suppose every good story has twists and turns...

Lost would only begin to describe where I am. My mind is in a million places and I too easily become overwhelmed by said thoughts. Thoughts that consume me and prevent me from seeing life clearly and making decisions accordingly.  My recent adventure out of the country was probably the clearest my mind has been in a while. I forgot about all things related to my normal life and embraced each day and moment exactly as it was. Each day my goals were short lived. Get to this city or that hotel. Find this monument, throw a coin in the fountain. Take pictures. Eat when you can, sleep when you're done. Each day felt like a fresh start, each moment felt full of life. In the confines of a single day, I felt so much freedom.

But then here I am, back in reality, consumed by my day, thinking of the future and what it holds. Wanting more/different/change. Not really sure how to grab hold of it or what my first step should be.

Maybe I should start with telling more people about this blog. Maybe.

Dear Friday

Dear Friday,

I didn't know you would suck the life out of me. It was a good/bad/weird/long day I did not expect. I was going to say that I did absolutely nothing related to my trip today, but then reminded myself that, "helloooo, you just babysat for 12 hours." So I definitely count that as something trip related. Not sure if the extra $ will knock a few things off my list or simply pay a bill or two, but either way it will get me that much closer to Italy! Every little bit counts, and 12 hours worth of bits definitely feels substantial.

However, tomorrow I'd like to do a few more tangible things related to my trip. Here is what's on my mind that needs to be done (because I like lists):

• Research and purchase this list (so this should count for like 10 things to do)
• Research the places we want to go in each city
• Compile info for everything we are doing
• Buy tickets to the Vatican, Colosseum, Uffizi, Duomo, etc.
• Research places to stay so we have options when we are there
• Pre-pack (yes, I want to do a sample pack to see how that's gonna go)
• Create cheat sheet of phone numbers and addresses for Italy 
• Create cheat sheet of family/friends phone numbers (because yes, my mom's number is the only one I know by heart, probably because she's had the number for 10 years)
• Make a budget for my trip 

And the list, seriously, goes on. 

But for the sake of time and what I can accomplish, I'll plan on a little shopping, researching places to go, and buying tickets for said places. I'll be busy all day Sunday and camping overnight for the holiday weekend, so time will be limited. Seriously, at this point any extra time I have really needs to be devoted to this trip. What I should really stop doing is reading other people's blogs and GET TO WORK. 

Going back to my first point though, after commenting to my sister just now about my 12 hour work day I was reminded that there will be many 12 hour+ days in Italy...so get used to it! Although I hope my 12 hour Italian days are filled with more glasses of wine than hours at gymnastics practice, I have a feeling I am going to be very tired after this trip! There's a good chance I'll need a vacation from my vacation. I never knew what that meant as a kid, but I get it now!

I'm currently wiped out. Pooped as my mom (and childhood nightgown) would say. So off to bed I go before I finish off the box of cereal calling my name from the pantry. "Bathing suit, bathing suit, bathing suit. Pictures, pictures, pictures." Ima keep telling myself that until I get to Italy. Then maybe once I'm there I'll finally decide to "remind" myself that Italians like a curvy girl. Right? 

P&L, 

Allison Elizabeth 

Paper Chain

Dear Diary,

I made a paper chain this morning to help me count down the days until I leave for Italy. It's not just any ol' paper chain though, I made it out of this. Yes, because I'm fancy like that :)

Day 24--that's today. I didn't get any more planning or details figured out, but I did do some shopping! I bought this dress, gawked after this duffle bag, and scoured a few other stores in attempt to brainstorm where the rest of my pre-trip shopping money will go. Here is my list of what I'm wanting:

2-3 colored/plain t-shirts
1-2 cardigans
1 pair flats for walking (well, duh, for walking, but I mean LOTS of walking)
1 pair sandals for walking (see above note)
Duffle bag or small bag/suitcase with wheels
Cross-body purse
Travel toiletry containers/bag
Denim shorts

But I also have to keep in mind that I'm getting my hair did in two weeks, so I'll need to budget this all out a bit. Good news/bad news is I have lots of baby-sitting coming up! Did I mention I'm baby-sitting again? I gotta make this trip happen somehow. The time away from life is a little draining (I'm sitting on my days/time off from work) but hopefully worth it. Actually, it's totally worth it so far since it's not only helping me get to Italy, but also continue paying my bills in the meantime. Ugh bills. Changing subjects.

I also have a new Italy related goal: not check any luggage. Eek! Yes, that means I will only be packing a large carry on and purse/bag for my travels. I'm really trying to limit my packing list to basics and things I can re-wear and/or mix & match. I'm hesitant to have a large back to roll around considering all the moving around we are doing. We will be traveling between cities at least 5 days out of our trip and traveling all over each city during the day. If we happen to get stuck somewhere not being able to check our luggage into a hotel/hostel, then I'd hate to get stuck with some obviously touristy lug of a suitcase behind me.

Well, I'm off to go tear a link of my chain. Gotta make sure to document the last 24 days before we go! I'll be glad I did it later--I know that much!

P&L,
Allison Elizabeth

So Much, So Little!

Dear Diary, 


There is so much to do and so little time to do it! I could literally make planning for this trip into a part, or maybe full-time job in the next three weeks. I'm baby-sitting in almost all my spare time or days off in the next few weeks, which is GREAT on the financial front, but kind of limits my planning time. I guess that means no more keeping up with the Kardashians :) 


Today Cheryl and I got together at Starbucks again. We didn't get the paper chain making, although I bought us suuuuuper cute paper to do it with. Someone forgot the scissors--actually, we both did. Anyways, we got some destination points figured out for Rome and Florence. There are so many things to do, and when you haven't been before, you want to do it all! But I think we are working on finding a balance...seeing the necessities and fitting in as much people watching, shopping, and eating in the mean time! 


So far our trip includes some of the following: 

Rome

Vatican 

-St. Peter’s Basilica 

-Sistine Chapel 

Colosseum

Cooking Class

Distrcits in Rome

Trevi Fountain

Spanish Steps 

Pantheon 

Florence

Wine Tasting

Academia (The David)

Duomo/Campanile & Baptistry 

Piazza della Signoria (Center of city, outdoor museum of statues)

Santa Croce (Holy Cross Church, where Michaelangelo, Dante, etc. are buried)

Santa Maria Novella (Church w/ art and frescos) 

Cinque Terre

Footpath Monteross - Vernazza 

We may be biting off more than we can chew, but at least we'll have options. And these are just the first 3 cities we are going to :) 

I'm getting nervous about the logistical part of the trip. It's difficult to not speak the language or know how to get around. Not to mention not having my phone! Let's be honest, I can barely get to Target without using the "Map" app on my smart phone. Nope, it's gonna be a good 'ol paper map. We will either become friends or enemies. Let's hope the former. But at this point I'm just hoping we find our way form the airport to the hotel. A taxis perhaps? 


The countdown officially starts tomorrow, September 1, 2011. I'll need to make my paper chain in the morning so I don't get too far behind. I'm hoping to save the paper and make a fun, memorable something out of it. I'll keep you posted :) 


I could talk about this trip for hours and hours on end. There is so much to work through and so many feelings in the middle of it all! I'll save you from that now, but I can't promise the same in the future. This is a unique time and I want to remember it! 


P&L, 
Allison Elizabeth 

Dear Diary

I'm not so much a fan of "dear diary" type posts. But I totally am. I don't love writing them, I just love reading [most] of them. There is totally value in them, don't get me wrong, I just have a hard time writing that much about myself and my monotonous days. Who really wants to hear abuot that anyways? That's the thing though, if the topic or content of my day is similar to someone else's, or it intrigues them for some reason **creepy** then people will follow. That's what I do! The primary blogs I follow are either related to crafting or fitness. While crafting isn't really the "dear diary" type, fitness and personal health definitely is.

So to embrace said "dear diary" blogging, I will be writing such posts in the coming weeks. It may be all I write, or I may throw some other stuff in the mix.

Why the change? Or challenge rather? Well, like I've mentioned before, I am going to Italy. We are at 26 days and counting and I couldn't be more excited. I'm nervous too actually, and a little stressed about all that's left to do, but I don't want to rush through the next 26 days. I want the next 26 days to be a part of the adventure. The anticipation is killing me, but the planning process is adventurous in and of itself. I want to truly enjoy the next month and make the most of it. The trip will come and go, and that is OBVIOUSLY an adventure, but I want to fully embrace this trip from planning to flying to landing and back again. Oh, and of course everything in between.

I also realized recently that sometimes my journal is more interesting than my blogging. Maybe it's because I take my time to write? Or that I am more vulnerable there? I can't promise vulnerability, but at least I'll have documentation to look back on this time in my life and have something to show for it.

Join me in my adventure, won't you?

P.S. Why is it that I have to actually be away from home in order to blog? I don't get it.

33 days

I’m going to Italy next month. Actually, I am leaving in 33 days--not that I am counting or anything. 

I’ve been ready for a lot of things in life. I’ve always been ready for the next big marker to come-driver’s license, graduation, college, graduation, job, career, money, husband, family...you name it, I’ve probably hoped and dreamed for the day it would come. The waiting moments creep by like a slithering sloth. S-l-o-w. But before you know it, you’re beyond whatever stage you were waiting for and already waiting for the next one. 

I’m sick of waiting. 

I know I'm ready for this trip, but honestly I don't think I really know just how ready I am. In fact, both of us going feel exactly the same. We bought our tickets back in May (although we'd been planning on it for much longer) and that sealed the deal. 

We had a ticket to Rome and a ticket home and that's all the mattered. What happened in between was up for grabs, and we were totally OK with that. The only bummer part was the ticket home...

However, with 4 months to go until D-day, we opted for at least attempting to plan and save for the trip. 

We are both beyond excited and can’t wait for the trip to be here. While part of me wants to make sure I enjoy the planning process and the excitement of planning, the other part of me just wants to be there. You know how I mentioned that I’m sick of waiting? Well, I’m not waiting any longer, I’m doing. I bought the ticket. I’m going. I’m figuring this out as I go, planning what I can, saving what I can, and then-I’m just going.  

Everyone I talk to says either "I wish I had gone to Europe in my 20’s" or  "I’m so glad I went to Europe in my 20’s." Since the common denominator in both statements is “go to Europe”, I’m going to Europe. I refuse to wait around for things to happen to me, so I’m taking hold of this trip and making it happen. It’s too easy to live life thinking, “woe is me, my life sucks, when will good things happen to me?” But here is the thing, while for some people things happen to them, for the other 99% of us we have to MAKE things happen. Work hard, fight hard, run hard, maybe crash and burn a few times, then pick yourself up and do it again. But the result is worth it. Or so I've heard. 

We’ve had to fight for this trip. Let’s start first by saying (and I think we’d both agree on this), we’re poor. So by default, the cards are stacked against us. We also work at a job where it’s relatively impossible to get a weekend off, much less enough days to travel abroad.  Then there are the car problems. The car repairs. The rent. The bills. The unexpected expenses. When to go. Who to go with. How to get there. 

Will it be worth it? 

Absolutely. 

Without a doubt. 

Yes. 

Our list of hurdles to jump might not sound all that dramatic to you. They may seem trivial or mundane and to some extent you are correct--everyone comes across these hurdles in life. But, if those problems weren’t such a big deal, then why doesn’t EVERYONE go to Italy? Or Paris. Or Bora Bora. Or Fiji. Or Hawaii. Or wherever your little heart desires to go. 

We are fighting to make this trip happen. It’s our light at the end of the tunnel. Our hope. Our joy. The thing we think about when we are sick of thinking. 

I’m not very good at “living a little.” I think too much, I worry, I budget, I scrimp. I don’t take risks and change gives me anxiety. But I desperately want to live a little. Take a chance, be spontaneous and maybe a little unsafe. I want to try things and experience life in the way I can only experience it now. I am single, unattached, young, and these things are quickly fleeting. At 24, I still have so much ahead of me, but all I can really embrace is what I have RIGHT NOW. 

And this trip is what I have, RIGHT NOW. Well, in 33 days to be exact. But for a girl who’s probably been planning her wedding since she was 8 (that would be 5,840 days ago), I’d say 34 days is pretty darn close to NOW.