Last day in Italy.

It’s always sad leaving a loved one; watching them drive away in a car full of life, bound for a city thousands of miles away, or, leaving them behind for a new destination, the door closing with an ultimate “thud” behind you- no, in front of you- as their face disappears and the world shifts under you.. the sad pit in your stomach as you realize the next time you see them is unknown.

Transit is always a time of sulking; the bitter-sweetness that accompanies the train ride, the blablacar, the movement away from something, towards something, towards nothing, really.

I’d rather be the one to leave it behind. I’d rather be the one gripping the steering wheel, foot pressed against the pedal, moving forward into the world. I’d rather not be the one left behind to sulk alone, stagnant.

So, this time, I’m leaving Italy with force. This time, though, my destination is a destination of necessity. A destination of timeliness, the unfolding of travel-induced events. I have no idea what will come of this leg of the trip. Maybe, then, this is freedom. The unknown as freedom.

My generalities are telling me that I’m voyaging away from a place with the richest of food cultures to a place lacking in it. From Tuscany to London; from wild, unadulterated gluttony to proper, pint-guzzling days of poshness. Disappointing, maybe? More to learn from.

What I’ve learned in the past week: I enjoy basking in the non-traditional path. I need to accept this. Just because someone travels, doesn’t mean they’re traveled. Intellectualism is ultimately most attractive. Confidence is key to language enhancement, piano-playing abilities, most things in general.

See you all in London.