Money Well Spent

VENEZIA: A waterlogged city renowned for its architecture, cultural history and geographical beauty. It’s a city that has been depicted in my head since I first learned about Italy. Since I was young, whenever I imagined Italian culture, food, it’s people and any other fact about Italy, I always had an image in my head that was based solely on the Venetian lifestyle.  I would imagine Italian men dressed in black and white striped shirts and a red bandana traversing along a liquid street standing on the rear-end of a gondola.  Unfortunately, being able to physically walk along the Venetian streets while living here in Italy seemed unlikely in the short amount of time I have.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to take a day trip somewhere. I figured, in order to save some money, I would just check out a place close to Siena. Maybe I could take a bus to Montepulciano or San Gimignano perhaps, but something inside me wanted more.

My friend Taylor went to Venice for a weekend by himself earlier this month and told me that it was quite literally his favorite experience thus far. He was raving about it for days, but his only trepidation was that it was expensive. I wanted to go to Venice, but I’m cheap, and expensive is a very frightening word to me. So, naturally, I procrastinated on planning for the trip. I wouldn’t even take the time to look into the price because I knew that it would only turn me off from the idea. For two weeks I planned to research the price of the trip – but never got around to it. Finally, on Friday night, I worked up the nerve to open my laptop and figure out what it would cost to go to Venice.

Travel alone was going to run me about 110 Euros – I could just imagine how much lighter my wallet would weigh after this hit – then when I factored in my hostel, my food and my entertainment, I was going to be spending much too much.

Eventually I came to my senses and aksed my self a single question, “will I regret not going to Venice when I came this close to making it happen?”. The next morning at 7:00, I was on a 300km/h train North to Venice.

The question for me at this point was whether or not the image of Venice I’ve kept in my head all of these years would turn out to be a better depiction of the actual thing and disappoint me, or would seeing the city completely overrun my preconceived notions. I advise you, – yes you, pal – go to Venice. It will blow you away.

Coming into the city was like entering a mythical land. The train sped across acres and acres of earth and then suddenly, when I looked of the window, all I could see was water. The tracks themselves stretched across the sea leading into the city. The train station overlooked one of the most interesting panoramic scenes I’ve ever viewed. Busy streets full of shoppers and vendors that were lined up in sync with an infinite canal that was inhabited by boats of all shapes and sizes. It was beautiful and although the weather sucked, I didn’t mind because the city made up for it.

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I only had a day and a half here so I did what every tourist does in a new city, I explored. I probably walked 10 miles that evening, trekking along the streets, looking at the shops, getting lost, and it was great. Eventually I found a beautiful church, – I can’t remember the name of it, shame on me – that was holding a classical orchestra performance that night. I bought a ticket – yay! more money spent – but it was well worth it. The church was gorgeous, the artists were phenomenal and it was a great way to spend my evening. The next morning I got lost some more. I enjoyed a good book while sitting  next to the canals, watching the gondolas pass by. It truly was an experience I will cherish forever. I can’t wait to visit the city again.

Overall, this was a good learning experience. I had the opportunity to trust my gut in spite of my fears and worries. Had I not gone to Venice I may have seen another cool city, saved some money, and been totally ok; but the regret I would have had after I returned to American would haunt me. I know myself too well, and luckily I’m pretty adept at recognizing good opportunities when they come my way. Needless to say, I made the right choice.

And yes, the real Venice was better than my preconceived idea of it. Until next time Venice.