A land far, far away

I want to go to Italy. I want to go not because of the culture, the history, not even because of the fashion. Well, they are part of the reason, but what really inspired me to want to visit Italy are books that doesn’t even have any pictures of Italy in it.

The first one was a book I bought when I finished the book I was reading in Ko Pha Ngan: Meg Cabot’s Every Boy has One. Okay, so it’s one of your run-of-the-mill chick lit. Girl meets boy, girl hates boy, boy hates girl, they end up falling in love, blah blah blah. In between the sappy exchanges, the author gives you a slice of Italian life and what made her characters (and possibly the author as well) fall in love with the place.

Meg Cabot showed me places in Italy I would never thought to go to. As soon as I got home, I started reading on Le Marche, researching when’s the best time to go, even picking out a tour guide. However, I put my dreams on hold and focused on more realistic goals.

The desire to visit Italy was rekindled when I chanced upon Vroom with a view by Peter Moore. He traveled through Italy, riding on a ’61 Vespa. I’ve never riden a bike, but his story made me want to learn how to, even to brave the crazy Italian traffic.

It’s been 7 months since I last read Vroom with a view and more than a year since I read Every Boy has one. I once again put Italy aside to focus on more realistic goals (read: closer to home and much cheaper). But time never made me forget about Italy. I want to experience that magic spell it casts on people. I want to walk the streets countless tourists has trodded on. I want la dolce vita.

This entry is part of Rice Bowl Journal’s July Collaboration Project.