6/18/2022 – Escaping Overseas
I depart for Europe, a 2-month journey, my mother and sister in tow. 2 suitcases, 1 large, 1 carry-on compatible. 1 backpack. Headphones. Notebook. An eager eye and a whimsical mind. Behind, I leave a friend of shattered stars. Perhaps time away will heal these broken scars. Brimming anticipation washes away frustration, and I smile, the world fading below.
6/20-6/28 – Welcome to Viserba, Italy
Has it always been this small? This reminiscent of a former self? I trace fingers along these worn beds and hardened handles, of dusty stairs and vintage furniture, along hallways I’ve outgrown and landmarks I’ve known. I see myself run past in shifting colors, a blur of memories and voices and faces brush to the surface. I touch my cheeks. They’re wet. But my mouth curves upwards and I follow a familiar scent downstairs…
In these gleaming waters and sparkling sands, I heal. I grow. I reconnect with family and my inner child. I splurge on gelato and brioche, on peaceful strolls and ventures into nearby cities rich with art and culture and history and strain my ears to understand the proud language that marks this idyllic coastal land. But alas, my respite must end. Onwards, there’re other places to attend.
6/29-7/2 – “You know I Love a London Boy”
Paddington Station, my first footsteps in this grand city. I’m hit with a wave of buzzing excitement and mesmerizing awe.
A glimpse of what’s to come. A taste of what’s more.
I follow my mother and sister around these sprawling gardens and iconic grounds. Feed the ducks at Hyde Park, salute at Buckingham Palace. Cream tea at Harvey Nicholas. There’s Big Ben. Westminster shining stoutly. The London Eye glinting on the horizon. Shops along Oxford Street. Trafalgar Square. Hit Piccadilly Circus, a British NYC of sorts. So much to see, so little time.
I’ll be back, shortly.
7/3-7/15 – Oxford Comma Supremacy
I arrive at my dwelling for the next six weeks, my first independent foray abroad. Charming, quaint. And immensely British. A fairytale garden in the rear. A bus stop near. Kiss my mother and sister goodbye, greet my friends inside. I’m ecstatic that they’re here with me, that we’re all experiencing this together.
Swirling spires and looming towers, cobblestone streets and stores full of desire, these glistening fields border enchanted waters. Blur of faces, places, color, and sound. Stories from high tea. Punting along a dream. Endless historic books and serene shops. Thoughts of studying and essays dissipate like rain, and I forget I’m here to learn.
Deep, I’ve found a love like no other. I wish to stay here, forever, amidst the serene countryside and rich culture.
7/16-7/18 – If I were a Parisian, I’d Be Snobby Too
Ah, Paris, the city of love. Love, I’m not sure, but indeed a rush, a thrill of a new environment. I haven’t been here since I was fourteen but it’s like seeing it with fresh eyes.
Visit the Lourve. The Muse’de Orsay. Sneak by the Miraculous Ladybug bakery because we’re secretly fans of the show. Too bad we didn’t buy tickets to the Moulin Rouge! Crepes right outside Sacre-Coeur. Macarons from Ladurée. Alas, we climb the Eiffel tower and touch infinity.
7/22-7/24 – SCOTLAND FOREVERRRRR
I have yet to see Nessie or a Highland cow but this is making me want to study here for grad school.
8/6 – Mischief, Managed
Aaah my inner child can’t. This is amazing.
8/7 – “I don’t Need Your Love, All I Need is Six”
So excited to see Six at the West End!
8/8-8/11 – A Bittersweet Goodbye
Harry Potter walked here. The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings were born here. His Dark Materials is set here. So many of my favorite books and movies stem from this place. And I soon won’t be able to grace these halls. It’s all too much.
8/12 – Return
I return, a twisting sensation festering inside. I smile. I hug my parents and my cat. But home feels so distant, so still, so abstract. Comforting, yes, but unchanged. A glance in the mirror, and I don’t belong here. My reflection stares back but I hardly even recognize the girl in question.
Will I ever recover? From memories of another, world, culture, spirit that aches for more. I curl in bed and fill my thoughts with wonders that lie outside my head.
8/17 – Present
I found you, when I was in despair. You were there. You cradled me in your arms, soothed me with silent charm. Lulled me to sleep. Fed me tea and dreams and poetry. You became my home, my calling, my summer love. But reality has tightened its glove, and these feelings I cannot shove.
I must depart, but my darling, I leave with you, all my heart.
Never the same, never whole, for my soul rests on hold, in these tranquil meadows and singing streets, in an afternoon daze of summer heat, these dazzling places I long to greet.
In swirling towers and twilight hours, in shadows of warm pubs and flashes in neon clubs, of long nights and wandering alleys and stars shining softly above.
In dreary rain and midnight whispers, in romantic narratives and painted pictures, in hallowed corridors and ethereal skies, in dashes through fields and hills and glistening cries.
Through patterned roads and familiar paths, in evanescent moments and echoed laughs, we dance, we soar, and live forevermore.
