13 years ago this day...

Wondering how I would have turned out with your guidance.  Hope you're proud of the man I've grown to become.

Miss you, Ba.

In honor of your memory, I grew out my 'stache:

It took me 3 weeks!

____________

As an aside, a disturbing number of my good friends (all males, strangely) have lost a father in the past few years, through sickness or accident.  I think of it as joining The Dead Father's Club; all of us have changed irrevocably, have become stronger men, but at a terrible cost.  Here's hoping membership in this particular group remains low for as long as possible. 

Ah, Venice.  It's every bit as amazing to see in person as you would expect a city built on the water to be.  Absolutely stunning.  This time, especially in this city, I'll let the pictures do (most of) the talking:

As usual, more pics here.

Some random thoughts:

• Imagine the city you're in without any cars.  Imagine the serenity, the clean air.  The only noises you hear are of people chatting on the corner, the click-clack of shoes on the stone paths, water gently lapping against the canal sides.  It was very soothing to be in Venice, and rather nice to wake up not to the noise of engines and horns, but instead to the sounds of people simply living.
• However, traffic jams still happen here too.  Just imagine boats and gondolas bunched up together, angry Italian phrases being exchanged, haha.  Also, the ambulances are high-speed motorboats.  Of course.
• While sitting on the edge of the Grand Canal, legs dipped into the water to mid-calf, I had a thought: Dad would have loved this place.  I always had the feeling he felt most at home behind the wheel of a boat.  A city built in the middle of a lagoon, with canals for roads and boats instead of cars?  I imagine he'd easily develop a liking to that lifestyle.
• St. Mark's Square at night is so alive.  In the evening, the outdoor cafes each have their own orchestras, and so they have dueling performances!  It's a game of one-upmanship for the hearts of the crowd, but the real winners are the observers simply enjoying the free show.   
• Fort Lauderdale, FL calls itself the "Venice of America."  Now that I've been to both, I think it's fair for me to say, "Umm...no."

*****

Next up is my final destination, as I head to the Cinque Terre for some hiking and scenic views...

Sometime in the past few months (not exactly sure when, but probably while sitting lifelessly at work), I was daydreaming about traveling to distant lands, lamenting that in 26 years, I have never left the borders of the United States.  Not once.

But then I realized, "Hey, I have a job.  That means I have an income.  And vacation days.  No wife, kids, or dog.  The only thing that's stopping me is....me."

There's never a perfect time to travel.  You just have to do it.  That was my problem: for the past few years I kept putting other things ahead of it, telling myself I would take that first trip as soon as _______.  Somehow, I always managed to find something to fill in that blank.  The turning point for me was making traveling a priority, a subtle but critical change.  And with that simple attitude shift, at approximately midnight on July 1st, I booked a flight to Rome.

*****

The weeks leading up to my departure date were ridiculously hectic, filled with friends visiting from out of town, increased responsibilities at work, and preparations for the move from Manassas, VA to Albuquerque, NM upon my return.  I was completely unprepared for this trip; while sitting on the tarmac awaiting departure, I only knew 3 things for certain: I would be arriving in Rome on July 24th, leaving from Rome Aug. 3rd, and staying at a hostel for the first 4 days.  Everything else during this 11-day trip was completely up in the air.  The freedom was exhilarating, the unpredictability unnerving. 

For someone who's prided himself on being dependable, responsible, and organized, I definitely felt uncomfortable.  But that's exactly what I needed, to push myself out of my comfort zone, to disrupt my little bubble, force growth.  On the surface I was concerned, but deep down was looking forward to seeing how I would fare in a completely foreign environment.  Now granted, it's not like I was plopped down in the middle of a jungle in Africa; this was Italy, one of the safest, most popular tourist destinations in the world, with locals accustomed to dealing with English-speaking travelers.  Which was part of the reason I chose it.  My travel desires tend more towards atypical tourist destinations rich in non-Western culture, such as Africa or the Middle-East, but I reasoned that my initial trip should be to somewhere "easy," to learn the ropes of overseas travel.

Rome, the Eternal City that hosts millions of visitors a year, was the ideal choice, with its modern infrastructure seamlessly integrated with centuries of art and architecture.  Being a closet history geek (who is terrible with dates), I was naturally drawn to the birthplace of the legendary Roman Empire, precursor to modern Western civilization.  Everywhere I walked, I was surrounded by the 2,000 years of history, echoes of the past permeating the air.  And if that wasn't enough sensory overload, Rome also surrounds Vatican City, the headquarters of the Catholic church and host to priceless works of art and monumental architecture.

In retrospect, it was the perfect place to begin my long-overdue international travels:

(More photos here.)

A few of my favorite memories from my days in Rome:

• Learning to speak Italian - I tried my best to learn and speak Italian, hoping that the locals would appreciate my efforts.  It's such a fun language; the rhythm and changing tones makes it always entertaining to both speak and hear.  And I absolutely love it when Italians say "Prego" (pronounced with a drawn-out "praaaaay-goh").  It can mean several things (You're welcome/How can I help you), but it's spoken with such warmth.  It's sounds very sweet coming from an Italian woman, and also softens up the roughness of gruff Italian men.  I initially had a lot of difficulty speaking Italian, stemming from my shyness and a fear of butchering it.  But with each successful exchange, my confidence grew and my pronunciation became stronger, less timid.  My first entirely Italian exchange involved ordering gelato, asking for her recommendation, and explaining that I liked fruits.
  
• Kids playing futbol in a park - As I came up from the Metro, I cut across a park with kids fooling around with a soccer ball in an enclosed grassy area.  As I walked by, right on cue, one of them accidentally kicked it over the barrier, headed towards me.  Of course I caught it and tossed it back to them.  They all responded with a hearty, "Grazie, signore!"  For some reason, this made me smile for awhile.   Looking back, I wish I had the presence of mind to respond with "Prego!"
  
• Being mistaken for a local (!) - The 4th day in Rome, I decided not to do any sightseeing, and instead simply enjoyed the city.  So I grabbed some lunch at a local place, picked up a nice Italian shirt (which I promptly donned after purchasing), and rode the bus around town.  At one point, as I got off, a German family stopped me, pointed to their map, and started speaking their own version of broken Italian.  To me.  Haha, I was very amused, but fortunately understood what they were saying and where they wanted to go (the Piazza Navona, a place I had just visited 2 days before).  So I directed them, and off they went on their merry way.  By that time I was pretty comfortable with getting around Rome, and so I guess it showed in the way I confidently carried myself.  Or maybe it was just the shirt.  Haha, regardless, I passed the Mistaken-For-A-Local test!
  

*****

Next up, my first "oh sh*t!" moment overseas, and a spontaneous trip to Pompeii...

• my begrudging return to Austin - I took this job in large part because of the traveling aspect.  Returning to the same place where I spent 5.5 years in college (Don't judge me...I was working on two undergrad degrees!) in addition to 4 months back when I first started work definitely felt like a step backwards.  The same culture, same city, same environment; I was squarely back within my comfort zone, and how can personal growth (and travel blog material) ever come from that?
  
• ridiculous work schedule - From December thru February, we worked 6-7 days a week, at least 12 hours a day.  For Christmas and New Year's, we had one day off for each.  Now I understand why most of my investment banker friends hate their jobs (but not their salaries/bonuses).
  
• propensity for obsessive gaming behavior - After a long day at work, one just wants to go home and zone out.  Gaming provides that escape from the real world.  Much like watching a movie or television show, except even more immersive.  And certain games nowadays boast amazing storytelling (Bioshock) that can rival, if not best, the stuff that's in theaters.
  
• I can be lazy.