On February 14-16, my three friends and I traveled to the city of bridges! Not Pittsburgh, but Venice… We chose to go here over Valentine’s Day weekend so that we could go on a gondola ride and enjoy the waterside views.
We took a four-hour train ride from Rome to Venice and checked into our hostel. I am still getting used to traveling by train, and I love the convenience of it. I wish trains and metros were a more popular way of transportation around the United States. Though I know that all of our locations are more spread out, it would be much easier to take a train places than have to go to the airport (which is basically in my backyard at home). On top of this, I have never stayed in a hostel before. It was a cool experience staying with other travelers. In the lobby, there were so many different languages being spoken and people from all different walks of life. It taught me that, in Europe, it is a lot more common to hear a multitude of languages than it is in the United States. Everywhere I go here is filled with tourists and travelers who each carry their own culture and personal lives with them.
The best experience of the whole weekend was Carnival! My friends and I unknowingly planned our trip during one of the most exciting times in Venice. It was a wonderful time buying masks and bartering with the street vendors. Our masquerade masks were all perfectly unique to each one of us- both in color and in the giant feather plumes that were attached to the top. Much like Halloween in the United States, the people of Venice (and a multitude of other regions in Italy) dress up, have parades, and celebrate the changing of seasons in the streets. There are scrumptious baked goods, drinks, and fistfuls of confetti everywhere. Our group was able to take a tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and take a few photos throwing confetti outside of the entrance. Numerous people approached us and asked to take pictures with them (I’m not sure why other than the fact that we look American, and we looked like we were having a fun time), and we saw some absolutely amazing and ornate costumes that the locals were wearing. An experience like this feels like a once in a lifetime thing. It’s crazy to think that this happens every year for several weekends, and that this is normal to the people who live here. The culture surrounding Carnival is deep, and the native people of Venice cherish their traditions to no end. As an outsider, I loved the fact that everyone was welcome and encouraged to participate. With a mask on, you could pretend to be anyone or anything that you wanted for the day. Though I have been having a few struggles adapting to all of the different cultures around me (because I go to a new place every weekend), Venice’s atmosphere was one of friendship and enthusiasm. I got lost a lot in the tiny back alleyways of the city, but around every corner was something new and exciting. I would go back in a heartbeat.
Katherine's Study Abroad Experience 2020 