Piazza de Michelangelo
Though I've been fortunate to travel a lot
recently, I still feel as though I haven't yet explored enough of the world to
label one exact place as my favorite. But thinking back on my past few travels
has provided me with a place that I would call one of the most
meaningful.
This past summer I took part in a Faculty Led Program to Rome and
Florence, Italy. The class consisted of about fourteen students, all girls, who
were members of my university's Hospitality and Tourism Management Program
(HTMS). Being a literature student, I was the only non-HTMS major in
attendance. I did love getting to know these girls and I was thrilled to be
learning about something new, but a huge part of me felt like I was on the outside
looking in. Not just because I wasn’t a member of the HTMS program, but also
because pressures of the “real” world were suddenly overwhelming me. I was
feeling lost and alone. And being in a foreign country with people I didn’t
know really established that uneasiness.
People always describe beautiful places by saying, “it’s absolutely
breathtaking” or “it’s like a postcard.” They were phrases that I thought to be
true, but they are so overused that I when I hear them I never imagine them to
be used to describe something so incredibly wonderful.
I think reason behind that is because you never truly understand this
type of beauty until you experience it first hand. When the girls and I heard
of Piazza de Michelangelo, we had no idea what we were in for. It was a last
minute decision to make the trek and we were definitely not prepared for the
steep hike up the hill.
Out of breath, we scoped the piazza for a place to sit. It was
completely packed. It seemed like people had been here for hours trying to
claim a seat. The stairs and balcony were crammed but with some luck we were
able to find a spot for our group. Conversations stirred all around us, every
language seemed to be represented. The girls and I were excited that we decided
to come, as this definitely seemed like the place to be. They chatted about our
day’s activities and I withdrew myself from the conversation to observe the
world around me.
The sun had started to set. People were holding hands, hugging each
other close, and taking photos with the brightest of eyes and widest of smiles.
Everyone was in their own little corner of the universe, with someone they held
dear.
When the sun finally fell beneath the mountains, every single person on
the Piazza de Michelangelo cheered. Each little universe expanded and enveloped
the universe next to them. Everyone was clapping, laughing, and popping bottles
of champagne. The piazza went from a million different stories, feelings, and
lives to just one single group.
We were all there to witness such an amazing moment. And yes, the sun
sets every day but this experience was so unique. Everyone at the piazza was
suddenly one big unit. It didn’t matter that we were all different ages, that
we came from different countries, or that we were just plain different from
each other.
As cheesy as it may sound, it was like a celebration for being alive and
for finally slowing down enough to appreciate something that is so
overlooked.
This was the most amazing night of my life. It’s so hard to explain how amazing
the atmosphere was and how dazing the piazza actually is. It was sense of
belonging that I’d never felt before, something that everyone should experience
at least once in life.
