Arrivederci Italia!

Today I leave Italia after a week in Sicilia and two weeks in La Marche region of mainland Italy along the Adriatic coast. Soaking up the good vibes here has been nourishing - the calm, azure waters, wonderful food including my favorites (lasagna and tiramisu), the friendly and warm people, the beautiful architecture, the fabulous historic centers, and so much more. 

The last time I traveled solo in Italy was in 1991 after graduating from UCSD as a Linguistics Major with an emphasis in Romance Languages (Spanish, French) and a Minor in Japanese Studies. I based myself in Napoli for 2 months, staying rent-free in a historic granite- and wood-embellished apt that my friend, Daniela (who I had met and lived with in Japan in 1989-1990) arranged for me. From Napoli I visited Roma, Firenze, Pisa, Siena, Capri and smaller towns in Calabria. I spoke to everyone in Spanish until I started learning the correct Italian words.  People were patient with my language skills and I somehow navigated hostels and trains on my own without a mobile phone, Eurail pass or a lot of money. I also traveled on an Indian passport which meant more scrutiny at immigration check points. I met other travelers along the way and we shared stories and tips about our immersion.

21 years later I am wiser, braver and more fluent but also grayer, slower and certainly rounder after too many years living the American, car-centric lifestyle. I notice that there are hardly any solo female travelers of my age (54), so I do get some puzzled looks and questions. “Sta sola?” the Sicilian waiters ask when I request my table for 1, as if this is an odd thing. Perhaps they assume I am widowed or divorced, and maybe they are sad that I don’t have any friends to travel with. Little do they know I just spent 2 weeks traveling with 7 family members and that being sola is a welcome change from negotiating everyone’s needs. 

I am reminded of a very cool Parisienne woman, Nadine, whom I met at my Japanese program in Tokyo in 1989-90. She was in her 40s: single, childless, and had decided to leave her job in France for a year to study in Japan. She had traveled to India, and other parts of Asia and Europe. At the time, I was fascinated that she (at her age no less!) would travel this way. Perhaps I was both fascinated and a bit scandalized. The freedom of untethering from work and all other obligations was really something to consider.

I wish traveling in this way was more possible, accessible and acceptable. And, yet, I realize it is an incredible privilege to have a flexible work schedule as I do, and to be old enough to have survived a 20+ year mortgage, and to have a generous spouse who is able to look after our home and animals and give me this wonderful freedom. And so here I am, saying Ciao Italia (a la prossima volta!) and hello to Portugal for the next 3 weeks.