Today is the halfway point of my trip. Six weeks in, and six weeks to go. That's so crazy to me.
This last week has been one of, if not the best week I've had since I left home on September 2nd. Italy is officially my favorite place I've ever been outside of the U.S., and one of my favorite places in general. The people, the landscapes, and the food are all amazing beyond measure. I seriously love it here.
My new host family has welcomed me with open arms. There's Gianni and Michela, and their two children, Tommy and Angelica. They have three other sons who live abroad, but I've only met one, David. My experience with them has been so so good, and I'm beyond thankful for their hospitality.
The Short Version:
This week, I have been living in Agordo, a town that sits in the heart of the Dolomites and feels like a place that should only exist in fiction. I am completely surrounded by the towering peaks, dense forest, and some of the most genuine and kind people I have ever met. For me, it's literally paradise.
I spent lots of time cleaning up the garden and stacking firewood, all the while surrounded by views I've dreamed about for years. I spent time eating, conversing, and laughing with these amazing people. I've met grandparents, cousins, and more, all of them welcoming me as if I too were part of the family. I hiked into the mountains witnessed the most breathtaking sunset of my life. I've eaten more pizza and gelato than can possibly be healthy. Some of my good friends from back home were in the area and came to visit as well!
My mental health was much better this week as well. I had only one day where I was feeling bad, and that spell, though rather severe, lasted only a few hours before I pulled myself out of it.
If you want more detail, or to look at pictures, read on! If nothing else, I encourage you to read the "Conclusion" and "for you" section at the end.
Wednesday: Gardening, Family Meals, and Call of Duty
The day started slowly. I crawled out of bed and went up to eat breakfast before I headed out to the garden. There's a long line of some kind of small tree bordering one end of the property, and every single one was overgrown with grass and weeds. So I got work ripping out all the unnecessary growth, and then went to stack firewood. After about 15 minutes of that, one of the older sons, David, arrived home for a few hours and took me to one of his favorite overlooks in Agordo, a place called Rock of the Eagle. Was such a cool experience.
When we returned, it was time for lunch! And Wednesday afternoon lunch is a party. Everyone goes to Grandma's House (which is just the entire second floor of the four story house) and makes a big meal. I had some great conversation with Tasha, a cousin who's from the U.K.
That afternoon, I watched a movie, and then played some Call of Duty with Tommy! It's been a long time since I've played video games, so I had a ton of revisiting one of my favorite childhood/teenage pastimes.
After dinner that night, we all played mario kart together! Serious throwback. I am so bad at it.
Thursday: Agordo
I spent the morning in the garden, and then walked into town to explore. This town is definitely one of the most unique places I've ever been. There's very little modern architecture. Even the new homes seem to retain the character and feel of the town's history. There's a large cathedral, a beautiful square with a park, and lots of little cafes and restaurants. I had to make a stop at the local gelato spot, of course.
That afternoon, I relaxed, watched a movie, and played more video games.
Friday: Stacking Wood and the Rock of the Eagle
The morning was pretty chill. I continued clearing the garden and then helped Tommy finish stacking the wood. Then, he and I went back to the Rock of the Eagle. I showed him how to fly the drone, which he loved, and we hung out there for quite a while. That night, we all ate dinner together and then played some more mario kart.
Saturday: A Festival and a Struggle
My host family told me that there was some kind of animal festival in town, so obviously, I went! There were actually not very many animals, but there were TONS of vendors selling hand made carvings and lots of locally grown food. There were also some guys doing chainsaw carving, which was so cool to watch.
That afternoon, things took a turn for the worse. If you've been following along on these posts, then you know I've had some hard days. I've been homesick, scared, and felt pretty alone. But I got hit with a full on anxiety attack. I dealt with anxiety for the first few years of high school, but worked through it and haven't had any issues for a long time. All of a sudden, I got hit like a train by unbelievable homesickness, stress, fear, and a myriad of other negative emotions. For about two hours, I was a mess. I talked it out with a friend, and then went to sleep for a while, and woke up feeling much better. I'm not going to go super in depth, but I feel like after this incident I actually have a better handle on controlling those feelings. My head is in a much better place.
Sunday: Dolomiti Magic
The pain of Saturday was followed by what may have been the best day I've had on this whole trip. I woke up, ate breakfast, and then went up into the mountains to pick Tommy up from where he'd been staying the night before. The summit of Duran Pass is absolutely beautiful.
We returned home, and prepared for Gianni's birthday party! We ate a traditional meal of Agordo, followed by an amazing cake. This was so cool for me. No tourists in this country are getting to go to birthday parties. It's my desire for experiences like this that motivated me to go on this trip. I was so fulfilled.
But the day wasn't over. After the party, I went on one of the most stunning hikes I have ever done. There was no "hiking to the view." The views were mind blowing for the entire trek. I took my time, following the path as it wound through the trees, stopping every once in a while to take photos. I didn't see a soul. It was just the nature, God, and me. I felt completely at peace, a stark contrast to the way I felt the previous day around the same time.
And then, I made it to the summit. The last section was straight up a steep incline for about 0.5 miles, and I had to do it fast to catch the light. So when I crested the final ridge, my legs and my lungs were on fire, and the view knocked out what breath I had left. Before me was a scene of magnificence. The light burst from the clouds, painting the mountains with pure gold. Cloud inversions covered the surrounding valleys, the dramatic peaks of the Dolomites rising from their midst. And I stood at the foot of a large cross, the presence of my God overwhelming in this moment.
I've seen a lot of sunsets in my life, but this one topped them all. I was like a kid on Christmas, running around the mountaintop, flying the drone through the sky, doing my best to take in and savor every moment.
Then, the light began to fade, and it was time for me to begin the hike down. I knew there was a second trail, shorter than the one I'd used to come up, but far steeper. I found it, and decided to take it. I practically ran down that mountain, enjoying the stillness of blue hour.
I took 2.5 hours to get to the top, and I was down in 40 minutes. Downhill trail running is so exhilarating and fun. I made it back home, took a quick shower, and then went out for pizza and cold beer with my family. It was seriously a 13/10 day.
Monday: Friends!
I spent the morning in the garden and then my friends Jan and Mike arrived! They're driving from Munich to Lake Garda, where Mike (who's 81) will be running a marathon! We went into town to get them a place to stay, and then ate dinner at the only restaurant in town that was open. Turns out Monday is not the day to party in Agordo!
Tuesday: Friends Part II
Jan, Mike, and I went back up to Duran Pass, and got some really cool conditions. Lots of low clouds blowing around, and beautiful fall colors.
We went and got pizza for lunch before splitting up for the afternoon. My hosts suggested that they come over for dinner tonight, and they did! It was an absolutely phenomenal meal, and we all had so much fun talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. I bid Jan and Mike farewell, and spent my evening writing this blog post.
Conclusion:
Usually, my conclusions have been about how I've grown, how the bad parts of the week influenced me for the good, etc. But this week, I really don't have any real struggles to draw life lessons from.
So today, I'm gonna talk about happiness, as that's been my primary emotion this week. I think we can all agree that happiness is something we want, and something we want to have. However, I think the reality of happiness is that it's not an achievement. You will never wake up one day and "find happiness." Happy is a state of being, just like other emotions. It will come, and it will go.
But what separates happiness from other emotions is the power we have in reaching that state of being. People don't go out and do things to make themselves sad. I mean, maybe some do? But like, that's weird and if you do, you should probably stop. But people DO do things that make them happy! Whether it's art, sports, writing, cooking, playing music, or whatever else, most people have at least something in their life that brings them joy.
I think there's ideals about happiness that are horribly untrue, especially in the U.S. One of the biggest myths is that success = money/things = happiness.
This is simply not true. Success and happiness are certainly tied together, but that middle part is not the bond. The equation should look something more like this:
success = doing what you love, pursuing your passions even when it's hard, loving your friends and family, acts of kindness, etc. = happiness
By these terms, this week, I was successful. And by defining success this way, I think I will continue to find it, day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year.
For you this week:
Are you successful? If yes, what does that success mean for you? And if no, take another look at my equation and make a change in your life.
That's the thing here. I know this topic is cliche. You've seen motivational speakers on the internet talking about this stuff. But today, as you're reading this, I want you to actually make a change. Do something each day that matters to you, something that makes you happy. If you don't have time, you're wrong. It can be five or 10 minutes. Just do something.
If we learn to cultivate joy in ourselves, it grows outward and spreads like wildfire.
Perpetuate happiness.
Song for this week:
Joy - Bastille
As always, chase your passions, stay stoked, love first and remember that fulfillment lies on the far side of discomfort.
Until next week,
- Zwiegs
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