20 Years Ago… In Italy
Twenty years ago I got on a plane bound for Italy with a group of college students for one of the most magical experiences of my life. It was the first time I'd been out of the country and the first time I'd immersed myself in another culture. Here I am in Burano, Italy, standing next to all the colorful houses and wearing the cutest green blazer that I bought myself in Venice. Somebody pinch me! I saved for that trip for four years and loved every second of it.
I remember meeting an octogenarian librarian on a park bench in Cortona who was curious about my painting. Art has a way of connecting us, regardless of our differences. He didn't speak a lick of English and I spoke zero Italian, but somehow we communicated with gestures and exaggerated facial expressions until I understood that the address he wrote on a scrap of paper was an invitation to the library. Biblioteca… It turned out that he worked there, taking care of ancient illuminations from hundreds of years ago. If you click the link above, you can see a virtual tour and you’ll know why it was so special. He also offered me an espresso and a blood orange-- (not near the books— don’t worry! ) I don't think I've ever tasted anything better. To this day, I can't walk by a blood orange in the grocery store without that happy memory of connection flooding back.
My group spent glorious weeks trekking the Italian cities and countryside, painting in cafes, eating gelato and perched atop Roman city walls, soaking in the peak of youth. To my surprise and delight, a few of my fellow travelers asked me to give them a little watercolor demo one morning. I did, and we had a blast painting pastries and cappuccinos at breakfast.
Upon our return, we pulled together an art show of our paintings as a final project. I still have every single one of my Italian watercolors. I never could stomach the idea of letting them go. Some still hang in my stairway at home, including the little painting I was working on when I met the librarian of Cortona. You can see it above, along with a few more.
Twenty years later, I feel gratitude again. A few weeks ago, we walked the campus of Washington and Lee with my husband, daughter and son. Every time we turned a corner, my face lit up in surprise and delight as we ran into another friend from my past. We are older now. We’ve also reached many of the goals we yearned for at age 20. Instead of hustling to exams or hurrying to “get through” that one hard class, we appreciate this place at a savoring pace and stop to look around the beautiful campus and buildings. It may have been a brief stepping stone, but those college years profoundly changed me in the best ways. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Four years went by too fast. The twenty after that though… well, I must have blinked!
As for a free watercolor demo, you’ll find it right here. Enjoy!
Katie