Italy

        One of the places I have wanted to visit for the longest time is Italy. Most of my childhood was spent around my dad's (now ex) girlfriend, Gina. She spent a good amount of time there and I always used to ask her about her experiences. She made this life-changing, homemade, from scratch tomato spaghetti sauce that she learned to make while living in Italy. It originally took about two days to cook, but she condensed it to 8 hours. That is just one example of the beauty of Italian people and their culture, the time and care you take to perfect this masterpiece of a dish that would be devoured in one night's supper is admirable. I have always had an appreciation for good food from the preparation to the plating which has most likely stemmed from Gina's influence as well as that of my grandma. Not much American food has the quality level and effort put into it as Italian, so I'm always looking for great flavors and superiority in ingredients. Another thing I've always admired that contributes to the beauty of everything Italiano is the language. They way it rolls off the tongue of a native speaker and the flow of the words has always been soothing to me. For this reason I have a classic Italian radio station on my Pandora account that I listen to it when I'm going to sleep, or any time I feel like it which, to be honest, is pretty often. Even though I can't understand the exact words they're singing, I almost feel as if I still know what they mean, by the pitch and the music that goes along with the foreign lyrics.
         The art one would find riddled in the streets will blow me away. Sculptures and statues, fountains, and architecture are all examples of fine art that I, personally, tend to hold at high value. Venetian canals and the hustle of down town Milan during fashion season are things I very much look forward to experiencing. I love to run, so going for an early morning run along one of the less famous, but comparably aesthetic, local, beaches and watching the sun rise is to dream of, but one day I hope to make it a reality and a treasured memory. The reason I want to go to more of a "local" beach is because I have learned, from the people of Kona, Hawaii, that the most amazing beaches are usually not tourist attractions. Only the locals know about them, most of the time. You really have to bother people to give up thee secret spots and meant it when you swear not to tell. When I'm there I don't want to stay in a Marriott hotel room or anything fancy. I want to find something like a family owned inn that's generations old and stay there, with the real people, good people. I will not have a cell phone or computer. Just paper, stamps, clothes and a camera. I also want to be aware of myself and know not to miss anything because i've got my eye focused on the view finder of a camera.
        Whenever I am day dreaming of my trips around the world, I often find myself turning to the internet and Google Earth to get my fix of stunning scenery in. My innate addiction for exploration and discovery of new things grows with every picture link I click on and every search engine is an enabler. This desire is truly a drug to me. It consumes my thoughts every day, no matter what I would do, I couldn't shake it, and I don't want to.