A year ago I saw a quote that said,
“A mind stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions.”
I whole heartedly believe in this. That’s why many people view traveling as one of the greatest things anyone can do for themselves. Our minds deserve better. We owe it to ourselves to get outside of our comfort zone a little and place ourselves into a completely new environment where we know no one. You enable a greater sense of self when you are forced to observe and listen in a new environment. This is why we travel
My time in Italy allowed me to do just that. I stayed in a beautiful little valley town called Rieti, about an hour away from Rome; the exact center of Italy. In Rieti not many people spoke much English as for much of Italy, especially with covid times. Only really people living in metropolitan cities can speak English. So much of my time I listened, observed, and had a lot of time alone to my thoughts. Being immersed into a beautiful country such as Italy is just a plus….let alone the damn delicious cuisine. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with family. So it wasn’t necessarily some extravagant solo voyage, but I was able to stay with Italian relatives of mine that I had not know at all prior to staying with them. So it was a really great opportunity to learn about another side of my family and to experience how they live their life for nearly 3 months.
I was loving my experience there so much. Though it was still during the weird time of covid, it was a great way to see the raw side of Italy, and Italians. They are incredibly caring and thoughtful people. So much of their time is spent in some form of gathering with others. You will never not see Italians gather without food or drink. Italy is a beautiful country to say the least. The cobblestone roads, the leisurely afternoons, the wine, the sight of seeing Italians talk with their hands, the aroma that fills the streets everyday at lunchtime create this amazing experience that is very uniquely Italy.
I missed America though. We Americans house a very unique American quality that is so unexplainable. It’s very noticeable when living in a different country. This is not a “better or worse” comparison by any means. We always need differences to compare from. But it made me appreciate the place we call home even more. It’s important to feel gratitude for the place you live, because there will always always be moments that you want to be somewhere you are not. Find gratitude for what you have and where you are.