By: Crysta Pompa
The last day in Venice was a very bittersweet day for me. Although I had been away from home for two and a half weeks, I felt like my time in Venice was ending too soon. Of course I missed my family, my boyfriend, and my friends, but Venice became such a special place to me that it made missing them a bit easier.
Having the opportunity to stay in a place where most people visit for a day or two, for two and a half weeks was extremely interesting. Yes, you can see all of the tourist attractions in about two days but you cannot really immerse yourself into the Venetian culture in such a short visit. Therefore, during my time in Venice I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the Venetian culture and take part in daily life in Venice. Additionally, living within the Venetian Jewish Ghetto for eighteen days allowed me to take a step back from the tourist attractions and learn about the history of the city and the significance of Venice.
While in Venice, we had the opportunity to travel to a different city, or even a different country for one weekend. During the free weekend, two of my friends and I traveled to Florence, Italy. Going to Florence after being in Venice for two weeks so far was like a culture shock. Florence is a very active and heavily populated city. There are cars there, which is something we weren’t used to since we’ve been living like Venetians for two weeks. Seeing the huge difference between Venice and Florence made me wonder which city I liked better. I thought about this for a while during my time in Florence and again when I returned to Venice until I finally came to the conclusion that I enjoyed both cities but truly fell in love with the city of Venice. The slow paced lifestyle is something I value. I appreciate time and do not like to feel rushed. Although Florence is a beautiful city and has so much to offer, from the Duomo to Piazza di Michaelangelo, you can feel the rush of the city when touring around. Thus the simplicity of Venice truly spoke to me and allowed me to take in everything the city had to offer because there was no rush to get things done in Venice.
Overall, my experience in Venice has left an everlasting impact on me and I wish I was still there! I look forward to having the opportunity to return to Venice in the future and be surrounded by its beauty and simplicity once again.
Manhattan College 