A Voyage

I'm on a Boat
...don't ask

I’ve been staring at my computer for hours now. Just staring. It seems like I’d be brimming with millions of blog ideas, and perhaps I am, but the fatigue of life often clouds my ability to accurately articulate my thoughts. In the past week I’ve found myself struggling with falling in and out of like, eating far too much, and have been reminded of my inability to manage time well. But I suppose those are the simple joys of life, huh?

My aunt, her husband, and her brother (so my uncles) are visiting this week so I’ve been seeing the city in a different perspective: a very tourist-y perspective. From my uncle adding an “o” to the end of words to make them seem more Italian (which probably confuses servers more than if he just spoke English) to my aunt’s need to photograph everything, it has finally felt almost ok to not know Italian, it’s felt almost ok to ask questions and to wonder. It’s been nice. Besides exploring Milan in a different light, I was also given the opportunity to visit Venice as a tourist. Last month I was able to spend some time with a good friend from NABA whose father lives right outside Venice. Although it was an amazing time and I did get to see more of the city than I could ever dream of, I was also a poser among locals; my friend and his high school comrades were seasoned in their ability to navigate the Venetian alleyways. With my family, although we rarely left the confines of St. Marco Square (or rather Tourist-Trap Central), I was able to view Venice in a new light: probably a little brighter than the dim bulb that my jaded friend sees, but also a little gaudier like the disgustingly endearing Venetian glass chandeliers that hung in every room of our 4-star hotel. I suppose I still need some time to reflect, and to digest all this goddamn food. And I'll get back to you when I'm ready!

He's sexy...and he knows it