The Italian Trifecta

Naples. Rome. Venice. Three Italian cities each with their own culture, own personalities, own uniqueness. Each having a plethora of different things to offer, but all sharing one thing in common. Antiquity and simple, beautiful age. From the countless museums and churches to the quaint cafés and family owned gelaterias, everything has a story to tell.  Every corner is painted with a sense of history, and everyday the modern day public traverse and live in these streets and buildings once utilized by so many historic greats. I actually found it quite challenging to wrap my mind around this concept, but in the moments that I could "feel" it, it was an indescribable feeling of being connected, of understanding, and of appreciating. 

I'll start in Naples. Luckily my first day in the birthplace of pizza was not a precursor to the rest of my time there. My bag dried out, and there was no more rain. Beautiful weather to experience two main highlights of the area: Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. Mount Vesuvius is currently the largest active volcano in Europe and was actually steaming the day I made the climb. I'm not usually a nervous person, but this made me uneasy. Seeing how quickly and devastingly this volcano covered Pompeii in ancient times made it real that at no notice she could show her fury again. A scary thought by any means. Pompeii, the city frozen in time, can still be seen from the apex of the volcano.  As an engineer I found this place to be remarkable. We only think we're ahead of our time. Then there was the pizza. I never exactly knew what I was ordering (Italian might be harder than real maps), but I never went wrong. They have the pizza making mastered. My waiter also informed me that "only Americans share pizzas". I don't know how true that is, but I took his advice. Whole pizza. Embrace it. 

Next was Rome..synonymous with lost. A walking city where ancient cobblestone and modern asphalt mesh together into a sprawling layout impossible to navigate by no other way than trial and error. Or google maps I suppose, but that's one of the conveniences I'm learning to live without. To be honest, I'm starting to appreciate the slight disconnect. Yes, I got lost A LOT in Rome. Wrong turn, wrong street, wrong direction on the right street, all of it. At the beginning, it stressed me out. I felt like I was purely wasting time. Then it dawned on me that I have no timetable. Nowhere to be. I'm not sure there will be many other times in my life that I can say that so I made the decision to enjoy it, and it's been awesome. I've seen some pretty cool things while I've been lost. If someone says it takes 30 min to walk somewhere, I know it'll really take me two hours, and I just go with it. Again, embrace it. The Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel were the two big things for me in Rome. The grandeur of these places truly cannot be described in words. Add them to your bucket list. Rome was also the place that I had my first "this is why I'm doing this" moment. I met Sofia and Ellen one afternoon on a bus to dinner. We were actually all on the wrong bus :) They were a mother and daughter vacationing from Denmark. We ended up bonding over mutual lostness and spent the evening together. Five hours talking about everything from American politics to education to walmart. I learned a lot about them and about life in their country, and I also had the opportunity to share some of the things I love about my home. This is growing. This is becoming. The monuments are great, but it's about the people. I've had many of these opportunities, and traveling alone with no sense of time definitely makes it easier to engage in these spontaneous meetings. However, It's disappointing to think of how many of these chances I've missed at home simply because I was plugged in and focused on my own life. Take the headphones out, talk to the stranger next to you, allow a little bit of spotenaity for them to step in your life for a few hours. It's amazing what you can learn. 

The last of the three.. Venice. Italy's city of romance. It definitely lives up to that name. Beautiful architecture, shops, and restaurants all connected by gondola flooded canals. Even the attitudes of the people were romantic. Every time I went to a restaurant in Venice, the waiter would always ask, "For two?". I just smile, shake my head, and reply "Just one this time." This usually led to free glass of wine or dessert so I was fine with it. Venice for me though was riding in one of those iconic gondolas. Probably the most touristy thing to do in Venice, and I definitely paid for the experience. However, I felt like I was seeing the city how it was meant to be seen: from the water.  My gondolier's name was Pablo, and he's been driving the Venice canals for over fifty years. Even he asked where my Romeo was. I told him the truth. My Romeo is in Arkansas because life never happens how we plan it. We'll be back though, and we'll find you Pablo. Next ride for two. 

As for Crossfit, I have so much to say about Crossfit. Too much for this post. I'll just say that this community continues to amaze me. Crossfit Napoli in Naples and Crossfit Villa Albani in Rome. Welcomed with open arms wherever I am. More to come on this, but I am so thankful for this sport and it's people. Unlike any other. 

I'm pretty sure you could spend weeks in each of these places and not experience them in their entireties. I, like the typical fast-paced American, tried to squeeze them all into a week and half. Second lesson on traveling, SLOW DOWN!! It's not a race Amanda. This is not Italy for time. Seriously. Chill out. I ran myself ragged trying to see everything, and I learned that in actuality seeing more of and truly understanding a few select things leads to a much deeper experience and at the end of the day a much happier, less grouchy Amanda. I'm willing to bet that this concept would also apply directly to most other areas of my life as well, not just traveling. Learning. 

For now though, I'm settled into a small Tuscan town where I have my own space for a few weeks. A place where I don't have to fall asleep to the multi-lingual chatter of a sixteen bed female dorm room or better yet share one shower with those sixteen females. I have a gym that is quickly becoming my Italian home, and I'm Living the slow life for a while. This girl is worn out.