Italy is one of my favorite places on earth. Whether it’s way up toward the Alps or down in the toes of the boot, Italy is spectacular. The food, the wine, the history, the landscape, and of course the people; it is all perfection in Italy. I had been day dreaming of the Amalfi coast for the last 10 years and finally had the opportunity to pop on by.
The Amalfi coast, wowsers, what can I say that hasn’t already been said. Sorrento, Napoli, Ravello, Amalfi, and Positano were all worth the wait. Every destination along the way has their own gems to discover. After exploring most of coast, the final boat trip was to the island of Capri. First things first, only tourists say “Cuh-pree.” If you want to sound like you know a thing or two, its pronounced “Cap-ree.” I, of course, I mispronounced it each time and enjoyed getting corrected everywhere I went with my loud, non Italian speaking, mouth. It was about 158 degrees that day and unfortunately the tourists were in full swing; their sweaty 98.6 degree bodies collectively adding to the baking asphalt. So we hopped off the boat and immediately found a beach with some private chairs tucked into the shade just a few feet back from the crystal clear emerald blue water. The temperature of the gentle waves was so refreshing, like a heated pool just cool enough to give you relief but warm enough that you could swim for hours. After relaxing for a while, it was about time to start heading back to Sorrento. We walked along the shore for a bit and then… there it was, a little cove with large rocks sticking their heads out here and there. One rock in particular beckoned me, just a stones throw from the shore and just large enough to climb, in the middle of the sea. Hold my bags! We had only a few minutes left. I had to get out there before we headed back. I have no idea why I felt like I absolutely had to get out to it, but it was clearly summoning me. I got down into the cove and began the walk which then turned into a swim. By the time I was at the rock, the water was about 10 feet deep.
I gripped onto the rock and began to pull myself up. With a half muscle up, I laid over the top on my stomach and pulled myself the rest of the way before being able to swing my legs up and stand. It was pure finesse I promise. Now upright, on my own little island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, I was able to soak in my final moments of Capri. The waves… the boats… the cliffs… the water lapping on my rock… the briny sea air. One last deep breath and I dove back in.
When reached the shore and my little fantasy was over, I looked down and my hands and body were bleeding all over from razor thin cuts. Turns out that rock was pretty darn sharp. My stone island was covered in coral and some other ungodly type of geological knives. I was so fixated on scaling that little rock that I never even noticed that my skin was getting sliced, it wasn’t until I hit the shore and the literal salt in my wounds announced itself like hundreds of wonderful paper cuts. Back home in America , for about 4 days, I got the enjoyment of being able to look down at my hands at work and transport myself right back into the sites, sounds, and smell of the gorgeous breeze and salty air on my own little island. So worth it.
I love it when I am so caught up in something that pain doesn’t even register. Those times when everything around you seems to grow quiet except for the one thing you are soaking in. I know you can recall a few of them; if you close your eyes right now you can get right back there. You can see that smile, hear the laughter, smell the air, feel the ground, the deep breath you took as you were internalizing every detail. I hope you just went back to your moment as you read this.
What does it take to recreate these moments, how can we manufacture more of them? I honestly don’t think it’s possible to create them on demand. You can put yourself in gorgeous locations, with wonderful people, with exciting adventures, but time only stands still when the perfect mixture of all of your senses come together as one. There’s no telling when it will strike. You know that feeling of laughing until you can’t breath ? It feels so great, but you can’t create those moments by simply choosing something to be that infectiously funny. I need to seek environments where time could stand still for me. Hunt down landscapes so beautiful that I can’t help but be moved. Surround myself with the people who bring me the most joy. Take adventures surrounded by questions marks and hope for the perfect concoction of mystery and thrill. I think the only way to collect these moments is with a measure of complete spontaneity and a bit of a carelessness. It may take swimming out to the rock, climbing the tree, walking under the waterfall, or staying out just a little too long to hear the music in the streets with someone you love. I’ll be taking the opportunities to say yes to my crazy ideas more often, no matter how small. I hope they pay off with more of these concrete memories. Challenge to myself – accepted by myself.
