My last summer. MY LAST SUMMER. This thought has been on my mind since I began my time at the University of Cincinnati. Due to my major and the amazing opportunity of co-op cinci offers, the summer semester of 2018 was my only ~free~ summer and semester within the next five years.
SPRING SEMESTER THOUGHTS
What do I do... How do I make this break memorable? How can I get work experience while still being available for adventures? What's on my bucket list?... All these thoughts were flooding my mind as I finished up my first year in DAAP.
*backpack*
*learn a new language*
*work on portfolio*
*hike*
*camp*
*read SO many books*
*skydive* actually... *maybe don't skydive*
*paint all the time*
*ohio state fair*
*boat*
So many ideas of what my summer would be like but there was ONE I couldn't keep my mind off of.
BACKPACKING
Backpacking across Europe has forever been on my bucket list. I almost had the opportunity to do it after my senior year with my Dad, but as you know my foot was completely wrecked.
*Well what about now? My LAST summer?! This is the perfect opportunity... righhhtttttt???!*
Taking a break in my spring studio class, I instantly began mapping out places to go. I seriously did it all, creating a power point slide to convince my parents, talking about people I could travel with or meet up with, expected costs... I was ready for my presentation. But, long story short... my parents shot it way down. I don't blame them though, a young lady traveling Europe alone or with only a few... heck no.
I was upset at first and felt defensive. But, luck came my way. I made an instagram story of the plans to ~backpack~ and my cousin's cousin (and family friend) reached out to me asking to meet up with her sometime while she was studying in Florence that summer. I messaged her promptly back, desperate to get out of Ohio. Plus, we hadn't seen each other for at least 7 years.
The next day I packed up, got shifts covered, bought a few things from Anthropologie, and left for Milan. After training from Milan, Italy (no problems I might add despite all the crazy scenarios my mother thought of), I made it safely to Hadley's quaint apartment in Florence.
*Florence is a dream.* The city was as wondrous three years later as I had remembered when visiting it for the first time when my older brother, Nick was studying abroad there. Within just two days Hadley, her room mates Laura and Maddie, and I got super close. One thing led to another and they invited me to tour the Amalfi Coast. Traveling through Bus2Alps, we all left for the weekend trip late one Thursday evening.
As opposed to Florence and Milan, the Amalfi Coast was a new place for me to visit. We stayed in a hostel in Sorrento, but toured Capri and Positano whether walking around or by boat. Maddie came to study abroad with her boyfriend and guy friends from High Point University, so we spent most of our time just sitting around on the beaches in the small towns.
Positano was our first cliffside town to tour away from Sorrento. We sailed up to the dock and they recommended places for us to eat, activities for us to do, and where and when to meet again. Then we were off.
We considered cliff jumping but everyone was way too excited to actually see this cliffside village and hang on the beach that there wasn't enough time to do it all. The boys bought their keg at a local sandwich and liquor store to have their own party on the beach. The ladies on the other hand took ~artsy~ pictures against the coast and dipped in the ocean.
It was a practically perfect day, ending with a viewing of the sunset from our hostel by the ocean.
Capri was the second island we toured. We began by taking a boat cruise around to see the major sites and infamous rocks of the island. Then we docked and climbed SO MANY stairs everyone was seriously struggling especially with the heat. I had wished that I took working out more serious before the trip. Once we made it to the second level of the town, we were told the same deals and as always a place to meet up five hours later.
With Capri we went up and down the streets of the cities multiple layers. Ceramic pottery and knick knacks covered the streets. Same with lemonchello, sandals, and shell jewelry. But the best part was at the end of one of the top streets was a view I will never forget. I had never seen anything so blue, and clear, and graceful looking. The way the ocean met the island cliffs was incredible and one of those moments that you breath in and blink to make sure you aren't making it up.
It's easy to see why people fall in love in and with Italy so often.
We came down from the top of the cliff in Capri and headed to the beach again. In the water was a huge rock that stuck up for everyone to peak at. Hadley and I went in a little too confidently to try and climb a top. Neither of us succeeded and instead just got a few scratches and some weird looks from the fellow Europeans judging us restless and immature Americans. But hey, it takes a long time to become young and we definitely know how to.
The guys soon followed us down to the beach. They also had their moments of immaturity and fun, by playing jokes on those in their group not paying attention. It mostly had to do with the copious amount of topless elder women at the beach, and the boys tricking each other into looking... each one hoping it was a bit younger of a lady. It always ended in disappointment and dissatisfaction.
That night Hadley, Laura and I had our little "Lizzie McGuire" moments in Sorrento. We met a nice trio of Italian boys our age after dinner. Perfect for our own little trio of single ladies. Conversation was flowing and diverted to the boys moped scooters. In that moment I thought of the quote that, "deliberation stifles possibility, just as it kills the chance of real adventure" along with thinking of course Paolo and Lizzie riding around Rome together. So, despite my mother on my shoulder telling me to run away in that moment because they were probably trying to kidnap us, I sipped from the cup of spontaneity and hopped on that scooter. Antonio was my lucky driver and through his broken English told me facts about the town as we zipped past the marina, and special sites. He courteously dropped me off at the hostel where Laura, Hadley, Maddie, her boyfriend and I all met up again. We said our goodbyes and went to bed to prepare for the long day of traveling back to Florence the next day, and for me to Rome.
Rome was a quick stop for me just because I was flying out of it the next day. I walked across the city to a gelato place my family and I religiously make a trip to each time we visit this city, then fell asleep dreaming of the five days I had spent in Italy. Thanks to Hadley, I had completed another great trip and experienced more life defining moments, all to place under my belt and reminisce on in the future.
And if you would like to watch Hadley's adventures through her 8 weeks of studying abroad... here is her video...
xoxo,
~M~