-A European Adventure-: Italy: Part One

At 19:00 on November 23, 2010, I boarded the Blue Line from Split, Croatia and heading to Ancona, Italy. I have seen this ship docked on the Riva everyday but this was my first time onboard. From the outside, the ship looks like nothing out of the ordinary. On the inside, the ship offered shopping, nightclubs, lounging, a chapel, and cabins smaller than most peoples closets. It was a pleasant surprise and honestly, a relief since we would be spending the night on the ship. I decided that this was going to be a special night and that I must dress for the occasion. I wore a button up shirt with a matching bow tie, and sweater. Indeed, it was memorable night. The dancers and myself stayed in the lounge area and shared some drinks, laughs, and games. We headed to our cabins by 2 in the morning and just had a few hours of sleep before landing in Italy.

This tour will become memorable and a lifetime experience for many reasons. For one, while on the ship, at midnight, I turned 24 (hence the bow tie). I thought my birthday would be forgotten and spent being dragged along the road. It was quite the opposite. My friends made this birthday a very special birthday. I was greeted on the boat with thoughtful gifts and surprises. Also, everyone made it a point to wish me a happy birthday and give me a kiss. One of my friends baked me cookies that spelt out HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTT and made exactly 24 cookies. It was incredibly sweet! My director even made it a point to wish me a happy birthday and give me a kiss. Friends, Italy and gifts, WHO CAN ASK FOR A BETTER BIRTHDAY!?!

On the morning of November 24 (my birthday), we had landed in Ancona, Italy. In true Scott fashion, I was LITERALLY the last passenger off the ship. This meant that I was to be the last one boarding the bus. On the long walk from the ship to the bus, I just thought about how my fellow dancers and director will be upset that I held everyone up. Their response was quite the opposite. I walked up the few stairs to a bus full of dancers singing happy birthday to me. It was truly special for me to see them all happy. Later, Almira, my director, gave me a wonderful gift that she had purchased in Italy. All the dancers made this day very special for me.

The day started young. Anconia is northern Italy and we were heading south... very south. We spent close to 27 hours in total traveling time on boats or sitting on a bus and passing through beautiful and interesting cities. Dancers being dancers, we had to make many stops for those who smoke! Some dancers spent much of the time sleeping. Its pretty interesting to see what positions dancers can sleep in when they are on a small bus. I decided to stay awake so I can look out the window and see as much of Italy as possible. I think I fell in love! Italy’s beauty is so natural, subtle but breathtaking. Even just sitting on a bus, I can’t help but to be in awe of what I am seeing. At 21:00, we reached Reggio Calabria. We went on another boat that took us directly to Sicily. From Sicily, we drove to Catania and finally reached our hotel at 23:00. I think we all can agree that it was a FULL day of traveling! I can’t wait to see more of this beautiful country in the next two weeks!