The first time I was in Italy, it was for a two week class. We went to Venice, Padua, Florence, Assisi, and Rome. One of my favorite memories is when my friend and I went exploring the last day we were in Venice. Although our days were packed, we still had a lot of designated free time, and our teacher let us go out on our own or in groups so long as he trusted us.
We had the better half of the afternoon to ourselves, and so we deemed it prime time to explore an area of the island we haven't gone before. I have to say, it's a special kind of thrill making the decision to put away the map and let yourself get lost. You find things you may have never noticed before.
I believe I was 19 when I went on this trip, and the drinking age in Italy is 18. While we were out walking around, we saw a man working a drink cart making free samples of drinks. When I tell you it was the best drink I had ever had...We decided to stop and get a full sized drink.
They were stronger than I think we were both expecting, and we drank them a bit fast. After a while of sitting there taking in the scenery, I pulled out our map and started trying to figure out where we were. Now, it Italy, street names aren't as clearly marked as they are in the United States. They are usually stone plaques built into the corners of buildings, but not at every corner. I started to get used to what to look for, but this was the beginning of our trip. On top of that, Venice is a labyrinth, and sometimes there were paths between/underneath building overhangs that weren't marked on the map. My assumption that we had ended up on the opposite side of the city was wrong. We ended up asking the guy who made our drinks to tell us where we were, and then we were on our way back to the hotel.
I don't have the best sense of direction in the world, so I'm grateful to my friend for not just recognizing landmarks, but knowing where to go once we found them. We made it back safely with no incidents, slightly more intoxicated than we were when we left a few hours prior.
It's little adventures like this that are the most memorable for me. As much as I like seeing the major tourist sites, I'm more interested in the nuances of culture and history. To me, that means wandering the paths less traveled and absorbing the energies places give off.
What is your favorite out-of-the-way place you've been to? Tell me about them in the comments. :)
Adventure on, and don't forget to be yourself!
Leah Miller
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