Last weekend, after an “exciting” week packed with exams and projects, I desperately wanted to go somewhere else, hoping to get some fresh air. I always wanted to travel by myself, but never had the courage to do so -- I was too scared and maybe a little lazy. However, this time I decided to just go ahead and do it.
After doing some research online and asking friends about places near Rome, I decided to go to Tivoli and Florence for the weekend. It was an adventure getting around in a new city by myself! Although I didn’t feel as satisfied as I expected, I was still happy that I did it, because I learned something during the trip: do not give up.
During the trip, many unlucky things happened to me. It was my first time buying train tickets, and as you might guess: I bought the wrong one!
I was at Termini station, but I accidentally bought a departure from Rome Tiburtina Station instead of Rome Termini Station. I tried several times but could not figure out how to buy the ticket with the correct departure. So, I changed my plans and decided to go to Florence first. Once again in front of the ticket vending machine, this time I managed to buy the right ticket from Rome Termini Station to Florence.
As soon as I finally bought the ticket, it started to rain. Suddenly I wasn’t exactly in the mood to travel anymore and wanted to go back home, because I hate rainy days! But I forced myself to go, because the ticket was expensive and I had already booked the hotel.
I arrived in Florence and started looking around to find the museum and the churches I wanted to visit with a map, hoping that seeing some new sights would cheer me up. I walked around for more than two hours but still could not find the way to my destination. I got lost in the streets and among the buildings. A flood of rain started, and I stopped and decided to return home.
Just at this moment, a shop assistant working in a linen shop stopped me. She asked me my name and sewed it on a piece of paper with her sewing machine and gave it to me as a gift. Actually, this simple gesture made my day and the trip continued wonderfully the next two days: I saw beautiful churches, some impressive statues and designs, and had delicious, authentic Chinese food.
You are in charge of your life, and you can decide how you want your day to be. The day will go by, no matter if you spend it being happy or sad. Everyday life is a learning experience and every day is the right time to make mistakes and to grow as individuals. Remember, smile and never give up!