The Journey Continues...

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

My journey to Tuscany and the northern sea towns over the past few weeks have felt like a dream.  Never could I have imagined myself in some of the situations and places I was in.  Although I tried to capture each moment in pictures and will try to express some of those moments personally and in this blog, I know I will never be able to explain the feelings I felt at those exact moments.  At times I made myself put away my camera, stop thinking about how I would explain the moment to someone else in the future and just took it all in with complete appreciation, contentment and gratitude and vowed to remember these moments forever.

I’ll never forget closing my eyes at the Bocelli concert and letting his voice pierce my heart and the calming feeling of knowing I was surrounded by not only some of the most beautiful countryside I’ve ever seen but also by dear friends. 

I’ll never forget the wandering off into a vineyard on a morning run in Tuscany and just stopping to notice how lush and green the vines and grapes were in the valley I was in versus the ones struggling to survive on the hill just 5 meters away.

I’ll never forget sitting on the balcony of our sweet little hotel in Levanto, a small little beach town that reminded me of Southern California, overlooking the bustling piazza and feeling complete comfort and happiness.

I’ll never forget the feeling of being absolutely fortunate when returning to the dinner table at a restaurant in a small town in the middle of Italy with 10 friends, old and new, enjoying some of the best food, wine and conversations I’ll ever know.

We (aka me) have such a tendency to think about/worry about “what’s next”.  I’ll only have limited days in Rome, will I see everything I want to see before I leave?  Will my time have been worth it?  Will I be prepared for Sicily?  Will I be ready to leave? How long will it take me to find a job back in the US?  It’s so easy to lose yourself in those thoughts but during these last few weeks of travel I wanted to make it a point to stay present in these simply incredibly moments that will only happen once.

Taking the train back from Levanto crossing through a few of the countless scenes this beautiful country has to offer, it’s easy to see why so many fall in love with this place.  From the rolling hills contrasted with the crystal blue sky for miles, the lush green cliffs dropping into the deep blue Mediterranean, the red tile rooftops of the mediaeval towns, and the narrow streets with colorful laundry draped along the windows, there’s something beautiful everywhere you look.

While I can certainly can understand why some don’t share my same adoration for traveling this country... the people can be laughably slow and indifferent, the trains are unpredictable and will undoubtedly be delayed when you have a connection to make, some of the cities can be loud, gritty and full of people pushing to get to the front of wherever they seem to be crowding to get to.  There are parts that aren't for everyone but for those whose hearts and minds it has stolen, their memories of Italy will forever be part of their own personal journey.