I read several of your comments at abstractthought, and decided to browse your journal. Your photos are wonderful. The colors are vibrant, and I love the touch of abstract.

I added you, so I feel obliged to leave, as requested, my 'raddest thing' to date.

I visited Italy three years ago. Near the end of the three-week trip, while in Florence, I managed to get hopelessly lost. I did not speak Italian, and did not have any of my tourist guides / maps with me. The bulk of my money was in my hotel room, so I didn't have enough for a cab. Just as I decided I was doomed, I wondered into the midst of parade. The "Estate Fiesolana" was a celebration of dance, film, music, and arts. The costumes were stunning, and there were loud, happy, Italians everywhere. I felt, at that moment, that I'd finally gotten a REAL glimpse of the country's culture. I never wanted to leave, and in fact didn't make it back to my hotel until five hours later! My dream is to return and live in Florence.

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Thank you for the compliment and even more so for the story. I've never been to Italy but look forward to one day visiting. That sounds like an excellent time and reminds me of the fact that some of my life's most cherished adventures were in response to being lost (literally or conceptually). I actually had a very similar experience in NYC during which I happened across the Puerto Rican day parade; while it ended up to be a very eventful and interesting experience, though, I could never actually live in New York City. I think it's interesting, though, how culture is almost invisible to the searching eye; in some ways it is something we have to be part of instead of simply observing in order to really understand it. To do that we must step aside from our comfortable detachment and truly allow ourselves to be embraced in the moment. Being lost seems to polarize that perspective to either extreme, depending on how you respond to it (probably related to our fight or flight instinct). Anyway, I’ve added you to my journal so you may now see my friends only entries; welcome! And I look forward to learning more about you from your journal.

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