Ciao everyone! I am happy that I get to write the fun post to go along with this weekend now, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much I have enjoyed remembering it while writing this!
For this trip I was with a guided tour, so on that Friday morning they loaded us all on the bus and drove from our hostel to Positano. The views getting there were amazing, and we all knew we were in for a treat. The bus was barely squeezing through the winding roads, and it felt like we were teetering on the edge of a cliff the entire time. Positano bus drivers, I do not want your job! Once the bus ride was over, we walked down to the beach section, and the view was just as amazing from down there as it was from up above. The houses go up and up the face of the cliffs, in a terraced, pyramid type shape. My friends and I immediately went to one of the stands set up for booking boat rides, because we had heard from friends who had visited last week that it was a very fun activity and a good way to see the coast from the water. We were able to book a small dingy type boat for 7 people, and it included a 2 hour trip around the coast, with stops along the way for swimming in caves, cliff jumping, and beautiful views. For the cliff jumping, we just swam out on to whatever shore was closest, and walked up the sides of the terrain until we were as high as we liked. In a very uncharacteristic move, perhaps due to the delirium caused by my fever (refer to Trip Fail post), I was the first one of the group to take the plunge! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and felt pretty brave, until of course when back on the boat the elderly captain let me know he was disappointed and has jumped from double the height. The good news is, I was still on such an adrenaline high of being in such a picturesque place jumping into clear blue water that my experience was not soured by an unimpressed old boat driver. There were also two stops where we were able to jump into the water, and swim into the sides of the cliffs where there were caves carved out. The way that the light comes in to the gives and reflects off the bottom of the ocean floor made the water an intense, glowing shade of blue, and swimming through it was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. While we were swimming inside one of the bigger caves, where we were completely alone and looking up at the enormous cavern above us, listening to the sound of the waves lapping against the walls, we couldn't help but be awestruck that this is what our lives are like right now. While most PC students are at school going to the library and maybe enjoying a day trip to Boston or Newport, I was swimming in a cave off the coast of Italy. It was in that moment that all of us realized how monumental what we were getting to do was. Studying abroad has plenty of hardships that come with being in a foreign country away from friends and family, but I will never regret my decision to come here. What I live every day is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and I work not to take that for granted. None of this experience felt real, and it really is amazing to see what natural beauty the world has to offer.
After the boat ride, we went to a stand that sells granita, which is an icy slush that is typically a flavored with fruit. I had a lemon granita, and it was so refreshing after being in the sun all day. We spent the rest of the day lounging on the beach and soaking up the sun, and were all exhausted by the time we boarded the buses that afternoon. I may have missed the following trips to Capri and Pompeii due to being sick, but the experiences I had in Positano have given me plenty of memories to look back on.
For this trip I was with a guided tour, so on that Friday morning they loaded us all on the bus and drove from our hostel to Positano. The views getting there were amazing, and we all knew we were in for a treat. The bus was barely squeezing through the winding roads, and it felt like we were teetering on the edge of a cliff the entire time. Positano bus drivers, I do not want your job! Once the bus ride was over, we walked down to the beach section, and the view was just as amazing from down there as it was from up above. The houses go up and up the face of the cliffs, in a terraced, pyramid type shape. My friends and I immediately went to one of the stands set up for booking boat rides, because we had heard from friends who had visited last week that it was a very fun activity and a good way to see the coast from the water. We were able to book a small dingy type boat for 7 people, and it included a 2 hour trip around the coast, with stops along the way for swimming in caves, cliff jumping, and beautiful views. For the cliff jumping, we just swam out on to whatever shore was closest, and walked up the sides of the terrain until we were as high as we liked. In a very uncharacteristic move, perhaps due to the delirium caused by my fever (refer to Trip Fail post), I was the first one of the group to take the plunge! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and felt pretty brave, until of course when back on the boat the elderly captain let me know he was disappointed and has jumped from double the height. The good news is, I was still on such an adrenaline high of being in such a picturesque place jumping into clear blue water that my experience was not soured by an unimpressed old boat driver. There were also two stops where we were able to jump into the water, and swim into the sides of the cliffs where there were caves carved out. The way that the light comes in to the gives and reflects off the bottom of the ocean floor made the water an intense, glowing shade of blue, and swimming through it was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. While we were swimming inside one of the bigger caves, where we were completely alone and looking up at the enormous cavern above us, listening to the sound of the waves lapping against the walls, we couldn't help but be awestruck that this is what our lives are like right now. While most PC students are at school going to the library and maybe enjoying a day trip to Boston or Newport, I was swimming in a cave off the coast of Italy. It was in that moment that all of us realized how monumental what we were getting to do was. Studying abroad has plenty of hardships that come with being in a foreign country away from friends and family, but I will never regret my decision to come here. What I live every day is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and I work not to take that for granted. None of this experience felt real, and it really is amazing to see what natural beauty the world has to offer.
After the boat ride, we went to a stand that sells granita, which is an icy slush that is typically a flavored with fruit. I had a lemon granita, and it was so refreshing after being in the sun all day. We spent the rest of the day lounging on the beach and soaking up the sun, and were all exhausted by the time we boarded the buses that afternoon. I may have missed the following trips to Capri and Pompeii due to being sick, but the experiences I had in Positano have given me plenty of memories to look back on.
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