Italy Recap

Back in London, I’m elated to be among people and places I know. The vacation was great, but I’m also very pleased to be home; at least, in the place I temporarily call home in this stage of my life.

I would like to talk about Italy as objectively as possible. There are certain things which I am expected to say (It was so amazing, I’ll remember it for the rest of my life, etc.) which, if they are true, I will say; but not otherwise. I have always tried to keep these blog-thingys as honest as possible. This is not Europe the way you or I want me to experience it. This is how I actually experience it; or, at least, I try to capture my experiences accurately. So, this is in an attempt to flesh out what I actually think about the trip through Italy, as opposed to thoughts I was expected to, or would have liked to, have had regarding my time spent there.

So, to recap, in Italian names: Venezia, Bolzano, Firenze, Roma, Napoli and Palermo. Quite a trip. I found that three weeks was not nearly enough time to see a decent amount of Italy, and so stand in profound wonder at those individuals who endeavor to see all of Europe in the same amount of time. If I had spent three weeks in one of the cities I passed through, it would not have been enough time to soak up the culture and the atmosphere of the surroundings and really feel as if I belonged in Italy. But I suppose I shouldn’t have expected to belong; I was touring the country, trying to see what it could show me. And I saw many beautiful things, but as I’ve said before, these lent no more perspective to my life than you would expect of a three-thousand year-old arch. It’s the people I met who affected me, and it is, chiefly, a better appreciation for, and understanding of, humanity as a whole which I have taken away with me.

I find that humans, the world over, are very similar creatures. Whether this is a good or bad thing is to be disputed. We all have similar desires and emotions, whether American, or Italian, or Pakistani, or Chinese. I think considering this perspective can yield some interesting conclusions about those around us who we seek to better understand. I’ve begun to make some preliminary assumptions about humanity: people want to be happy, and this desire leads them down different paths. Some acquire happiness through love, some through achievement, some through inclusion in a group. Sadly, some do it by putting others down. And this is not a reference to some repressed grade-school memory. It’s very much a part of the world, and there is nothing I despise more than arrogance. Some try to find it in money. I’m sad to say I can’t yet attest to whether or not money brings happiness, having none at the moment, but I hope to lend my unique perspective to this pressing issue as soon as I find myself in the appropriate research conditions.

I find, throughout my life, certain words, which I’ve known forever, suddenly assume meaning after some defining experience. These are the words on cheeky posters, like “Responsibility,” or “Courage.” I always thought they were ridiculous. But, during this trip, I came closer to understanding a few more of those words as I found the characteristics in people I met. These people, total strangers, were the complete embodiment of these attributes (generosity, affability, apathy) because I knew nothing about them which could complicate my perception of their character. Their whole persona was defined to me in one instant, and in this way, different words became applicable to each of them. Now, of course my perception of them isn’t true; the woman who helped me in the kebab shop in Palermo doesn’t wear a cape emblazoned with a silver K for kindness and fly around at night lifting dogs out of rock piles. People always reside in the gray areas, as our good and our bad attributes tend to offset, and all of us can be considered pretty good people. But this isn’t entirely fair, because it overlooks the peaks and the valleys. We are not the average of our kind deeds and our evil deeds: we are each of those deeds, kind and evil at once. None of them may be forgotten, because they are what define us. And this is how absolutes are created: if I know nothing more about the kind, generous woman who helped me for one instant, she, forever more, resides upon a pinnacle of integrity in my eyes, a guidepost, a role model. I am thoroughly convinced that nobody is perfect; but maybe each of us has his or her moments of perfection.

.…Let that one hang in the air for a second there….Little moment of silence….

Well then, on to some lighter issues. Here are some ideas which were genuinely spawned from my time in Italy, and they’ve already been patented, so don’t even think about stealing them.

I wonder if they make pizza with wheat bread. It opens up a whole new door towards producing healthy pizza; or, otherwise, pizza which people think is healthy, which is the real triumph.

I’ve discovered a way to stop time. No, not really.

After visiting a countless number of museums and churches and art pieces and sights over the past three weeks, I’d like to assume the role of art critic for a brief period of three sentences or so (You’re going to count, aren’t you? I would count, if I were you. Otherwise I could pass off, like, nine sentences as three. Don’t allow me that injustice.). In Florence, I came across a bronze sculpture of a boar. Many intricate places on its surface had been worn away, polished to a bright gold hue by the countless hands which ran over it. Obviously, you aren’t supposed to touch the boar, but people do it anyway, because they want to feel important, they want to feel close to the art. So, here’s the disconnect. Most art is best admired when left free from human intervention. It doesn’t like to be touched. I argue that the most influential artistic statement would be made with a piece that communicates with its audience, a piece which is enhanced, and not destroyed, by the human interaction it attracts. I haven’t done my research, but I’m sure there are things out there like this. Oh! For example, in Harrods, while my parents visited, there was a simple screen on the floor which followed your feet with bubbles as you walked across it. Simple, interactive, and fun.

So there you have it! My travels through Italy. I have too many pictures to share. I will put them on Facebook tomorrow, where most everyone who reads my blog, I think, should have access to them.

I’ve uploaded pictures to a few of my previous posts and may have made some slight changes, if you’re interested.