There is this notion that uprooting your life in your late 20s or starting to solo travel as everyone else is starting look at wedding venues and getting married (which in an ironic twist actually is the sole reason I am on this Italy trip, go figure), means you are not content, some might even say “lost”. You don’t fit the norm of societal pressure. But maybe you just evolved and awakened an aspect of your life that you didn’t know could be so transformative.
The word “renaissance” at its core means revival or rebirth of interest in something. In my case, travel. Not that I ever lost interest, but I changed and renewed it by starting solo traveling which added a whole different spin to travel and a lot more layers to a trip than I was used to.
Sitting here in Milan, one of the most important cities from the Italian Renaissance itself – how fitting! – enjoying a cup of the finest Italian cappuccino in a Pasticceria with a sweet cookie to accompany it, you can feel the city’s energy of old world inspiration and new world transformation coming together. Milan housed some of the worlds most renowned people like Leonardo Da Vinci, whose original painting The Last Supper is in one of the Convents in Milan. But it also boasts a fashion district that lines one high-end designer after another. From housing famous artists to becoming the Fashion Capital of the world, Milan went through some rebirthing itself and never stops.
This city inspires transformation and transcendence, change and evolution. As with travel, it’s really all about perspective and what you make of it. Wandering around these old pretty cobblestone streets with amazing architecture and taking it all in makes you ponder how travel resets your own daily routines and has made you transform and become a different person. A better, more insightful, more adapt and interested person.
Tying this setting in with a friend’s picturesque wedding in an old Italian Villa is the epitome of blossoming and becoming on so many different layers. I am here witnessing my friend enter a new chapter of life, becoming a wife and putting together this amazing destination wedding, while I’m also here on another solo adventure, living la dolce vita and sipping coffee in one of the oldest civilizations in Europe, thinking about my own transformation.
So no, I do not wander just because I feel lost sometimes (who doesn’t in their late 20s/early 30s?!) – I wander because it changes your perspective on yourself and widens your horizon in ways your 9-5 gig could never. And mainly because I just love to travel and see new inspiring blossoming places – especially those with better coffee than in the US!
Ending on this thought as I take another sip of my deleeeectable Italian cappuccino – where to next? -AS
Alisha is a lifelong travel bug who grew up in Europe and has visited 39 countries so far. With a professional background in Tourism in Germany and NYC, she knows the ins and outs of travel hacking, budgeting and how to plan a successful trip. In her downtime, she is busy tracking flights and creating itineraries for her NYC visitors as well as her American friends traveling abroad. When she’s not on a plane, you can find her at the gym or enjoying the food scene in Astoria, New York.
