The Floating City

Talk about a beautiful place! Venice is a city literally built on water. It’s amazing to walk around and imagine how it’s managed to stay afloat all of these years. 

There is a many waterway called the Grand Canal that runs through Venice. It is the major water traffic corridor in the city and it constantly filled with water taxis, gondolas, and water buses. There are large pedestrian bridges that connect the two sides of the city. As you venture out away from the Grand canal, you’ll find more residential areas connected by narrow canals and smaller bridges.

The odd thing about Venice, I don’t think I saw one car. The Grand Canal acts exactly how any road would here in the United States and it is one of the most unique things that I’ve ever seen. Even the police and ambulances come in boat form!

You walk everywhere, which is amazing and really gives you the opportunity to experience everything the city has to offer. Crowded main streets taper off the farther you veer off from them. It can be a very quaint experience and a great way to take in the eerie beauty of the city.

We never asked, but I’m curious, what happens when it floods? Are structures built to withstand that much water? If you can offer some insight, let me know in the comments below!

Chivalry in Italy is Not Dead

This topic threw me off a little as I kept going in circles while trying to figure out my exact opinion on this whole matter, so bear with me. Maybe Italians would disagree with me on this one, but from an American woman’s standpoint, chivalry is alive and well in Italy. But perhaps “chivalry” isn’t quite the right word. It’s simply that most men in Italy, respect women.

Italy is known for being romantic. Monica Larne, author of In Love in Italy, explains the feeling better than I ever could, “A very big part of what makes Italy so romantic is that fact that we – as foreigners – and the Italians themselves recognize it as romantic. It’s a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy in which we pay extra attention to the romance that the country offers: the fact that “Rome” spelled backwards is “amor;” the fact that this was the stomping ground of Saint Valentine and the fact that many of the icons of romance – from Sophia Loren to Ruldolf Valentino are Italian. Italy has sex appeal in spades: from fairytale castles to pristine beaches and three very macho and temperamental volcanoes.

The Italians seem to divide their living space with Cupid. Young women at bars are often served cappuccini with foam poured in a special way so that is looks like a heart and conversations about love rank high up there with food and soccer. And, of course, the link between food and love (symbols of freedom, abandonment and indulgence) is very strong in Italy. Italy has romancer in its DNA. Think back to the ancients when Eros and Aphrodite were literally role models for the people. Fast forward to the modern day and couples like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and all the others who choose Italy as their romantic backdrop, are in a sense modern day Italian Cupids.” (http://bit.ly/1C72Inc)

From what I have seen, Italy tends to keep it’s gender roles in love pretty traditional. It’s a sweet alternative to see in contrast to courtship in America. In the United States dating has become virtual, distant, a business that requires strategy and often comes with ulterior motives. Romance is beginning to feel more and more mechanical and less natural. In part, I think that’s owed to how our own gender roles have been shifting in America. But where do you draw the line between those gender roles and can both the traditional courtship that exists in Italian culture cross over with the non-traditional gender roles of our society today? In a perfect world, yes. But, our world isn’t perfect.

I think a lot of courtship traditions and genuine politeness/respect comes from how people were raised. In Italy, it’s literally in their DNA. Italian men will always hold doors open for you, no matter if your hand was on the door first or not. Kissing on the cheek, hello and goodbye, is cultural. And while it may just be a way to greet someone, it’s a form of respect none-the-less. “When I’m in Italy and I experience those little chivalrous acts, those things that are done completely sincerely and without thinking, I notice them because they’re things we’ve trained men in our country out of doing.” (http://bit.ly/1yWLcRJ) I think that because our American culture has begun to stray away from traditional dating norms, it’s easy to appreciate the men who do still take the time and have the respect to do the small chivalrous acts no matter what their background is. 

I feel like I’m more independent than most of the women I’ve met my age. However, with that independence, it’s always nice to still feel and be treated like a lady.

Pure Michigan

Ah, winter in Michigan..where waking up the next morning means tunneling your way out of your  own house. You already know my feelings on snow if you follow me on Twitter. I’m literally counting down the days (467) until graduation and then promptly moving south: no ifs, ands, or buts. Today I was planning on posting about gender roles and everyday customs of men and women in Italy. However, I felt that the Snowpocalypse 2.0 would be a perfect opportunity for me to not only vent, but also show you pure Michigan in her prime during the winter season. Stay tuned if you’re curious because that post will be coming shortly!

If you stopped by to simply view the picture on this page, thank you, feel free to stop reading this post and look around the blog even further (I promise you’ll find warmer posts). If you’re interested in my pain/share the same angst for winter or snow and you want to read my rant, continue reading on.

A fluid stream of consciousness:

• I despise snow and the winter season in general. And I’m not sure why I still live in Michigan. It’s a state that just continues to toy with your emotions as far as the weather goes. 

• Start a new pin-spiration board: my one year plan to move south, or west..Cali sounds nice right about now. Let’s do this. Motivation is at an all time high.

• I’m currently listening to the news right now, 18” in one night. Go home Michigan, you’re drunk. Kudos to everyone who lives in a place that constantly deals with a large amount of snow. Someone has to do it.

• I rarely venture home from campus in Detroit. This weekend was one of those rare occasions. Thanks for the not-so-subtle hint Michigan.

• Proud girl moment: I shoveled the driveway by myself. My back is already letting me know how much it loves my pride. 

• On that note (just a random thought) is shoveling snow considered to be a man’s job? In my attempts to get people talking, you tell me in the comments below. (I still managed to stick something about gender roles into this post.)

• School was cancelled today, that’s rad. More time for homework. Snow days just don’t mean the same in college as they did back in high school…

• Fudge, I still have to make it back to Detroit tonight and acquire gas before making the trek. 

Let me know in the comments if you were one of the lucky Michiganders that had the pleasure of getting snowed in last night. If you’re bored and in need of something to do: tweet me or browse my Pinterest page!

Sankies

I am 100% a beach bum when it comes to tropical island trips. One of my absolute favorite places to take a vacation to is the Dominican Republic. It shares it’s landmass in part with Haiti and the terrain of the land is as different as day and night depending on where you stay. I’ve always stayed near the sea, but I hear from the locals that the mountains are just as breathtaking. 

The thing that I enjoy most while vacationing in the DR (other than the insane, natural beauty) is the people. For people that have such little, they are arguably the happiest, most grateful people that I have ever met. And they typically always have a smile on their face or are trying to put one on yours. 

Just about every summer I return back to the DR. I’ve stayed at multiple resorts and I’ve found one thing to be true, the hotel workers (Animation team) are what really make the experience so special. 

They are basically the entertainment staff for the hotel and their job is to get the guests involved in various activities throughout the day (7 AM-1AM). It’s really a blast and great because you come away with feeling a personal connection to those people that you’ve spend the past 2 weeks with. 

Any woman that has ever traveled to the DR and stayed at a resort has encountered what they call a “Sankie”. Sankies are those sweet, charming entertainment workers (or any Dominican man for that matter) that swoon you while you're checking out of reality for the two weeks.

Sankies look for tourists, often women, to form connections/relationships with in hopes of extracting money or finding a way out of the DR down the road. It’s sneaky and comes off as very harmless flirting at first. Dominican men, especially sankies will want to shower you with compliments and profess their love to you within a matter of hours to just a couple of days. At that point, an alarm should be ringing in your head that something is a little fishy when you encounter that behavior. “I can’t be THAT desirable here in this new country? Hmm, maybe I can? It’s nice to hear these never ending compliments…I don’t get this at home…It feels nice to be wanted.” Some women are hooked right there and they have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into. Others, are smart enough to realize that it’s a trap.

There are plenty of blogs and websites devoted to discussions of Sankies and horror stories from women that were too naive. If you’re curious, I’ll leave some links below and you can check them out for yourself:

DR1 Sankies
DR1 Sankies Forum

ExPats Blog

TripAdvisor

Fortunately, I never had a serious, bad experience with a Sankie. I had just felt that I formed a close, personal bond and was very sad when traveling back home, knowing that I would never see these friends again that I had made while on my vacation. It left me wondering if I was the only woman that felt that way before.

I was so curious about the behavior from the Dominican men the first time that I took a vacation to the DR that when I returned home, I searched the internet to see how big of a deal it really was. To my surprise, Sankies were a huge part of tourism in the DR. I think that it’s very important that tourists have a good amount of knowledge about a place before they visit. And not just the typical things, dig a little deeper because it will pay off in the end. 

Since my first travels to the DR, I’ve returned 5 more times. However, with my new found information of the Sankies, it made it a lot of fun to call them out or play along with their charades! Every year I learn something new about the mystifying place and for some reason it keeps me coming back for more. 

Now that I know that I’m not alone, if you have a Sankie story, please share it in the comments below!

Arrivederci!

You know what’s great about Italy? Everything! Over winter break, I was given the opportunity to go to Italy for two weeks. More specifically, I got the chance to explore Florence, Venice, Rome, and Pisa. I will be forever grateful for that experience as it opened my eyes to a whole new world and a new way of looking at it! You can attempt to describe a trip that you’ve taken to someone else, you can show them photos, but they will never fully understand what it’s like to be immersed in that culture until they experience it first hand. Italy is a place that tickles all of your senses at once, a true one of a kind thrill! Check out this video that highlights moments and memories from my trip! It was made by a person who is very near and dear to my heart.

Have you ever visited Italy before? What was the most unique thing that you saw or did there?

The Lure of Travel

What makes traveling so fascinating to the people who have a passion for it? For some, I think that it’s the mystery of a new adventure in a new place. For others, it may be the architecture, food, people, geography, or even the history that peaks a person’s interest. 

The familiarity of a destination can become sort of a home away from someone’s native home and create a desire to travel. Personally, travel for me is a way to immerse myself in a new culture and see the world from a new perspective. 

How do daily functions differ from the way we do things at home? What are the mechanics of the language and how is it used? Signage, money, rules, attire; all things that we don’t think about on a daily basis and rarely question. Celebrations, customs, and traditions can all be eye opening opportunities.

Just about everyone experiences the lure of travel. It goes back to the thought that we all want what we don’t have. When you live in a place for awhile, you begin to take for granted the treasures within your own city. To someone who has never had the chance to see the same sights or have the same experiences that you have everyday is what entices them to travel.

What does having the opportunity to travel mean to you? What do you look forward to most  when venturing to a new destination?