The adventure continues to Italy, well renowned for its exquisite cuisine.
I have always loved train rides, and I was really looking forward for my first intercity train ride on the immense rail network in Europe.
Before arriving to the city I am heading to(ain’t it obvious by now), we had to change trains in Milan. In a short window period of 45 mins, I arranged a meeting with a friend who happened to arrive in Milan from Venice for his new job. What are the odds to experience a bizarre moment like this? The mystery remains unsolved till today.
~Can’t figure out who’s the imposter
As we bid farewell to the bizarre yet fruitful meet-up, I felt exhausted and fell asleep on the 2nd half of the journey. Little did I know that a thrilling adventure awaits me. So buckle up and enjoy the ride Dear Reader 🙂
We arrived at Venezia station just after sunset and I part ways with the rest as I booked an accommodation on the island while they stayed in the mainland. Getting out of my comfort zone can be addicting sometimes(Do it at your own risk).
I felt like a nomad finding my way in the island. I did not have any mobile data so I had to use landmarks to navigate to the safehouse(Airbnb). I felt like a spy in the movies, walking in Venice in the dark with strange faces walking by and groups of people singing. I had to make myself believe that it wasn’t just another strange dream.
~View from my SpyGlasses.
I was a greeted by a lady who took me upstairs to my tiny room. The apartment had these old vibe to the structure and there was only a curtain that separates the living room from mine.
Claustrophobia did not exist in me before this day. I could not sleep the whole night as it was summer and the air was still. To make things worse, there was a housefly that kept me company during the night. I was filled with thoughts as I imagined myself going through this ordeal again the next day. The lack of sleep made me cranky and I had to do something about the discomfort. I only slept for 2 hours that night and decided I had to find somewhere else to call home.
I decided to book a room in the same hotel as my cousins. Fortunately the price was reasonable & I did not hesitate to make the reservation. I now had to plan my exit strategy. I informed my host politely that I would be checking out early to stay with my cousins that day. She told me that I could not get a refund due to the short notice given.
I reassured myself that this was a good deal. A small price for a valuable experience.
Getting out of the comfort zone taught me an important lesson about the self. We get to see ourselves clearly only when we decide to step out of the zone.
After taking a nap to re-energize myself, I head out to the island yet again. It was a surreal experience to be in a small island with boats being used as a public transportation to ferry commuters along the canals. I spent an hour with my cousins, eating gelato while enjoying the beautiful faces and places.
~Overcoming my seasickness
We part our ways and I took a boat to meet a childhood friend of mine. He happened to be there with his fiancee on the same day(Yet another bizarre coincidence). Our busy schedules did not allow us to meet back home, so we had to plan separate trips to meet on the other side of the globe. We picked a random restaurant to catch up over a late lunch.
~Delizioso Salmon Penne for lunch
After having the best Italian food to ever entered my stomach, I bid goodbye to my friends and reunited with my cousins. We visited a few more attractions before heading back. While I was gazing at the sea on the bus ride to the hotel, a thought struck me. I had used up all my clothing for the week.
There wasn’t any laundry service in the hotel, so I searched for the nearest laundromat and which was a 5 min walk away. I stuffed all my clothing into a ‘large’ plastic bag, hugging it around my arms while walking. The network coverage was poor so I was basically walking in circles trying to get to the laundromat. Unfortunately, the streets were empty so I could not ask for directions. After a few attempts circling the streets while trying not to look weird with clothes wrapped around my neck & a bag not large enough to fit my clothes, I found the holy grail just before sunset. The best thing about summer is that the sun sets after 9pm, making the day more productive. It was almost midnight when I arrived back to my room.
As I was alone in the room, I could only rely on my alarm to wake me up the next morning to catch an early flight. It took a few missed calls and a very loud doorbell from my cousin to do the job. I washed up and packed my things frantically, just in time to catch the bus to the airport.
It has been a VEry-NICE adventure indeed.
~Ciao for now!
Leap with Luqe 