Love, Venice

Venice is one of my favorite places, a glistening metropolis surrounded by water. Today, I am writing from the Italian countryside just north of the Venetian waterways. Sprawled across a bright outdoor deck, sipping hot chocolate with cream. Extra marshmallows. 'Buongiorno,' someone calls, for the first time it is a good morning. There are no rules in Venice. Tiramisu for breakfast. Pistachio gelato as the sun sets. Squid ink stains my shirt black. Can happiness be that simple? Shopping and serendipity. Jeweled streets littered with people mix with the light whiff of impulse. Everyone is looking for something.

There is something about solo-traveling that brings with it a sense of introspection. A chance to look within, but also around you. To explore, to try your hand at something new, to make mistakes, to get lost along the way. To go away with oneself is as if to place one's life under a magnifying glass. A chance to reset. Reflect. Reassess. What is still important to you? What will you do with this one precious life? How will you forgive yourself for all the things you did not become? Yet.

I always return home feeling invigorated, ready to publish that article, take that course, learn that software, solve that client challenge, and do all the things that I set out for myself. This trip is no different. While the impetus for my solo expedition came after finding myself in a dark place, if there is one thing I have learned recently, it's that things always look worse in the dark. As the sun beams on the glistening Venetian water, there is a little hope in me that won’t die out.