hello
So I have just under another month in London, I leave here on June 6. All of my classes are done, final papers are all written and all of that jazz. What do I do now? literally anything I want.
I think of all the time I have spent in London (been here since January 1st, literally had new years on the plane here) May has so far been my favorite month. Being a born and raised Floridian, the whole no-sunlight thing was really taking its toll on me. I found no meaning in my school studies (really missed Rollins-quality schooling), I found no meaning in my day-to-day activities, was dealing with a lot of big-picture stress (like what job I want to work when I get home, how will I be on track to achieve my larger scale dreams, meaning of life, ya know – the normal), and I was really just super tired of being over here. Since then, I have really figured out a lot. I was offered (and I accepted) a job with a former boss in his new venture that not only pays much more than my last job but also gets my feet wet in what I want to do career-wise. I finished all of my assignments. And I now am seeing a more clear path of things I want to accomplish now and when I get home. So that is good
The sun has started coming out now too, which is making a HUGE impact on my views toward life. I was told that this city comes to life when the weather warms up and holy shit was that right. Literally every day there are hundreds (yes HUNDREDS) of people in parks just sitting in the grass or exercising or walking their dogs. People are smiling at one another and talking and it is a much nicer place to be than it was 2 months ago.
I had a really big realization a few weeks ago on a trip to Italy with my girlfriend. On my last few posts I was really really cynical about all the Londony things that I should be doing – going to galleries, walking down High Streets, whatever. I felt a lot of guilt because I didn’t want to do what everyone else is doing when they’re in london. I felt that because I didn’t like doing what everyone does in london there was something wrong with me. That guilt was building up to some self-loathing and a lot of other bad things – hence why my last posts were super negative. I don’t fake being happy because that is what people want to see. But Italy is where a lot of things changed.
Italy was really just an opportunity for Amy and I to get the hell out of London for a little bit. The entire trip was free because I’m really good at credit card churning, so everything was covered with rewards.
Essentially the trip was nothing but us giving a giant middle finger to everything touristy. We chose to not pay for any attractions (because it is really an F’d up concept when you think about it. Pay 20 bucks to be surrounded by stupid tourists with their heads in their phones while in an ancient structure that is full of modern tech and walkways to jolt you out experiencing it as it was).
We spent a ton of time just meandering around parks and talking to locals on the outskirts of Rome and then went over to a suburb of Naples where tourists very clearly stay away. We spent a lot of time walking around the town feeling what it is like to actually live there WITH the locals. We made friends with people who shook the way we see the world and ate the best food we have ever had, all at little mom and pop stores.
I had a plan to write this long exhaustive recap on the trip of Rome but I can’t be bothered to write that much. It was important for the way Amy and I both live our lives and if anyone that happens to read this wants to know more they can talk to me personally and I’d love to talk for hours about it.
I’ve got 17 days left here now. I have a job lined up back home, car figured out, and plans for my first week home. Things are going well and I have no complaints at the moment.