The Break-up in Pietrasanta

On the second night of our stay in Pietrasanta, my friends and I decided on a pizzeria near the main town square. (Pietrasanta is such a small town that we had walked the entire length of the commercial area and seen the menus of every restaurant possible.)

Halfway through dinner, we all became antsy for the nutella pizza dessert we pre-ordered. However, Tara turned our attention to a couple that was sitting at the table next to us. They were too far to hear but too close to look away.

The girl was looking intently at the guy who was concentrating on smoking his cigarette. She barely moved while he did not turn to face her once in the first ten minutes we watched them.

We came up with two possible scenarios:
A: She cheated on him, and she desperately wanted his forgiveness. Being disgusted with her infidelity, he could not bring himself to look at her.

B: He found a new woman. He wanted to end the relationship and move on to someone younger and less intense. He lost interest in this girl, but she would do anything to get him back. His mind fantasizing about his new squeeze, he could not bring himself to look at the pathetic girl in his presence.

For twenty minutes more, we saw their lips move. We saw her move in closer. He kept smoking cigarettes like he was alone on his Italian stoop. Neither of them seemed to interact with their waitress. At the end of their dinner, their lips pecked. His expression never changed. We fell in love with Nutella pizza.

To this day, that evening in Italia stands out to me. The number of people in our world astounds me. I constantly find myself writing a story in my mind about random people who catch my attention. I'm naturally curious about other people's lives. We encounter hundreds of strangers on a daily basis. I wonder how many people we leave an imprint on.

The Most Writing I've Done Since I Returned From Italy

Yesterday i saw a spider in my bathtub. Aware of the wax coating that prevents a spider to die from drowning, I proceeded to turn the water on full blast and force the asshole down the drain. 2 minutes after the water emptied, the spider had climbed up out of the drain once again. I repeated the act twice more before being over it. The spider looked half limp as the legs on one side of his body were flat against the tub. He was struggling to move. Perhaps his legs were sleeping. Since the water wouldn't kill him, I thought maybe heat would. I turned on my hair dryer and tried to blast the shit out of him. Then i realized i might've just helped in his recovery.

I left my bathroom. When I came back the same night, he was gone.

I'm afraid of retaliation. I tried to explain to the spider beforehand that I wasn't trying to kill him. I just wanted him to leave me alone. I'm not sure if he understood though. Now I sleep with one eye open.

I should've learned my lesson from the nursery rhyme.

Unexpectedly

Today was the first time I ventured off on my own. Surprisingly, I warmed up to it a lot more quickly than I imagined. It's interesting the amount of confidence and security you force upon yourself when you know you have no one to protect you at a given moment. Random people I encountered did not scare me, even if a couple creepers tried to talk to me. I also found myself tuning out the outside world and forgetting every useless thought that I might have had since I got here. I suppose it makes sense that to find inner peace you have to rid your mind of the outside noise, even if that includes good company. I will make a habit out of having my own time.

To recap the past weekend, a few girls on my program and I took a train to Venizia for a mini-visit to the famous city. On Sunday, several students on our program decided to cross the Arno River and hike up different hills to take pictures. People really need to make time to travel the world and see the sites photographed so often.. the places visitors try so desperately to recapture through movies, pictures, songs, and stories. Every experience attempts to be unique, but in reality we all see the same things. I took dozens of photos, and when I share them with people at home they will probably make positive comments. However, it probably is only special to me. To some people, photos are merely proof that someone once visited something worth seeing. To others, photos evoke memories of the moments that change their lives. I think what professional artists (photographers, writers, painters, etc.) strive to do is capture the moment and invite the audience to empathize so that they too can experience, without actually experiencing.

I still miss a lot of people and things from home, but I promise I am not homesick. I am enjoying my time away from the convenience of constant communication and transportation, but I am also counting down the days until I reunite with you and In-n-Out: only 29 days.

First Week in Florence

Catherine,
Higher education or philosophical contacts could have a part in making good things happen. This is the perfect time for you to appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. You have much more going for you than you may realize. An impulse buy you make today could pay off as an asset down the road.

Perfect introduction to my post... This isn't going to be terribly long, but just to catch people up on my life so far.

-Rome was amazing. I could not believe that I was standing amidst thousands of years of history and culture.
-Florence is more beautiful than I imagined. Immediately I felt a sense of comfort being here. I will have no problem living here for four more weeks. (Can you believe I only have that much time left?)
-I've had Italian food for every meal since I got here.. until Tuesday when I had McDonald's at the train station. Whoops!
-My apartment is really nice, airy, sunny, and inspiring. If you want to see pictures, message me.
-There are gypsies all over. Everyone has learned to take caution with them and the crazy rude men who try to holler on the streets.
-I had gelato for the first time last night. On the walk home as I was furiously trying to eat it while it melted all over my hand, I tripped on the street and fell on my ass. In front of everyone.
-Don't blame me. All the streets and sidewalks here are made of cobblestone. There are plenty of loose stones, and it was bound to happen to one of us. How did I know it would be me?
-A bird flew at my face one afternoon. Italian pigeons are vicious.
-I have 2 mosquito bites.
-It's scorching hot over here. I am only presentable in the morning.
-Did I forget to mention that I saw the Colisseum, the Sistine Chapel, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

I miss boba. I miss my laptop. I miss all of you lovelies at home. Keep messaging me..

I Took No Pictures Today

Catherine,
Romance and other things that tug at the heart strings come your way as a new cycle begins. Disputes could escalate today unless you make a concerted effort to avoid them.

It is weird how scarily accurate my horoscopes have been... It sounds promising enough. My journey to Italy begins in less than four hours. I am nervous/scared/excited. I know no Italian. I know nothing about the area. I know that I've underplanned, but I hope that does not take away from the experience.

The last two weeks have made me more weary about leaving. I miss everyone already, and I do not know how I will get through that time without speaking to my friends regularly.

In less than four hours, I will be without my phone for six weeks... Wish me luck. No doubt I'll need it.

Leavin'... Never to Come Back Again

Catherine,
Fondness and appreciation for the past and for your roots in life take on greater importance for you now. Home and family matters will require special attention. Extra time spent with those who mean the most to you will lead to tremendous satisfaction. Your family's personal growth, as well as your own, should take precedence over your career.



I'm leaving the day after tomorrow and won't see my friends and most of my family for almost six weeks. I have not spent more than four and a half weeks away from home since the second semester of my freshmen year of college. In the span of six months, my life has changed dramatically. I'm almost certain it will be different when I return as well. The only thing guaranteed in life is change, and I'm hoping that my past experience with change will help me through this.

I'm not sure what to expect of this trip. I will admit that I have not properly prepared for it. I do know that it couldn't have come at a better time. And I hope I use the time to grow and move away from everything that has been plaguing me, rather than letting it take me back to square one.

My Greatest Fear

I've developed a fascination with capturing moments in my life, creating memories almost instead of living them. I hope they aren't passing me by...