Half-Hearted

travelling is not vacationing.
it is work. it is play. it is something that doesn't linger long enough for you to figure out what you want to say.

you work to the bone, especially if you want to save money by walking everywhere. you end up becoming a map navigating master. and you even go insane trying to catch a train or a plane (sorry, i couldn't resist these rhymes).

you know you're travelling the right way if you experience refreshing moments of serenity and happiness. otherwise, you're doing it all wrong, as i came to realize slowly.

----some things i'll never forget----
the ultimate nap in venice:
i took a nap on the street with some friends on my second day in italy with this in front of me:

and this thing behind me (the Doge's Palace):

hope for happiness and love:
jiwon and i hung out with a bunch of other travelers from our hostel at Piazza San Marco in the evening:

this band was playing for the crowd:

and we spent a good hour laughing and smiling at the adorable, aged lovers who were playfully dancing cheek to cheek (i wish i took pictures of them!!). they made me want to grow old with someone, just so i could return and dance with him there :) who knew sharing cheerful memories with strangers could make me feel so sappy?

crawling bodies:
there is so much art in italy. it is ridiculous. the medici family did more than succeed in supporting the arts--they basically made the entire country a peninsula of art... i can't even begin to tell you about all the amazing art we came across, most of which we weren't allowed to take pictures of. some of my favorites include The Birth of Venus, and Venus of Urbino. but i still can't get over how epic the Sistine Chapel is. we weren't allowed to take pictures, but i couldn't resist, so i snapped a few. michelangelo, raphael, and the other artists who worked on the chapel (i'm not sure how many there were) somehow made this chapel full of crawling bodies. everywhere. naked, clothes, semi-clothed, semi-naked, all beautiful, and all giving off amazing vibes of energy. it was a shame there was a large crowd. crowds = noise. i think it pretty much sucked out the anticipated moment of sacredness and spirituality i hoped to experience upon seeing it. but nevertheless, i was full of chills. i had my head looking up until my neck couldn't support the awkward weight shift. (sorry the pictures are blurry. i did my best to be sneaky...)

aside from a few unfortunate events that happened along the way to my friend, the trip was beyond perfect. the weather was flawless (except for some drizzles on our last night in florence), i went with a super chill girl, and i had an awesome (literally!) time getting to know her throughout the trip :)