Just over a year ago I was spending a portion of my summer in Italy. I went to Venice, Florence, Pisa and Rome. This was my first experience with Europe and though it was overwhelming and confusing, I fell in love with what I considered to be an upside down version of New York City. I went to Italy with my dad and our trip was just under two weeks. It began in the beginning of August, which is peak tourist season for Italy. We stayed in each city for three nights, with the exception of Pisa as it was a spontaneous day trip for us. Our allotted time frame allowed us to discover the deeper parts of these cities, rather than just a quick in and out visit. We did research on the best places to visit (and not the basic ones all tourists find themselves at) and found ourselves surrounded by locals and unforgettable experiences.
Looking back at the photos of the architecture, the food, the culture and more always has me craving to go back. Italy is somewhere you could happily spend years of your life and I find myself daydreaming back to that trip. The history that these cities hold and preserved through the years gives you a new perspective on what really matters. For example, a staple moment this happened to me is when I climbed up the 500+ stairs of the Duomo in Florence and had a view of the entire city when I reached it. This was my first time doing something completely on my own in Italy, and it is one of the most memorable things I have ever done. All of this city life is beneath you and you watch it take place, almost with a bird’s eye view. I appreciated this sentiment as sometimes it can be difficult to take your head out of its own space. It’s easy to harp on small, inconvenient things that happen in our life but moments like these allow us to take a step back. We all have our own stressors, but as you watch life below it all seems so insignificant. The importance of things are so much smaller than what we think in our head.
Expanding my thoughts in this way created a craving to pursue more of this feeling. To realize your own insignificance and let go of the everyday anxiety’s most people hold, is huge. However, it’s easy to fall back into the way things were before your trip when it’s time to go back to real life. I know that the only way I can combat this is by traveling more frequently and seeing more of the world. As a college student, this is obviously not easy but there’s nothing that’s stopping us from little day or road trips. We live so close to many different beautiful states and sights that has the ability to change your perspective, you just need a switch from the everyday work hustle. Expand your horizons by traveling somewhere new or even seeing a different part of Boston than you’re familiar with. A change of scenery can do so much, even a year later I can still feel the sense of freedom that was so prominent as I was on top of the Duomo. The power of letting go of your anxieties is much greater than you might think, and much more attainable than you may have ever imagined.
