For so long I dreamt of travel, of seeing and experiencing all the world had to offer. When I was 15 I was given the opportunity to go on an Educational Tour through parts of Europe over my Spring Break. I saved all my money from my Summer job, I worked after school and on weekends througout the next year, and I collected and recycled as many bottles as I could. All to pay for the trip of my dreams.
And it really was amazing. The trip only created more of a craving in me; for culture, for food, for life. I visited London for the first time, Paris too. I took a sleeper train through the Swiss Alps and experienced so much of Italy. It was my own personal Mary-Kate and Ashley movie. Minus a major theme of course, a love connection.
By the time we had made it to Italy, the flirtations with other teens on the trip had run their course, and I was wandering the streets of Florence when I happened upon an interesting billboard. It was a window display for a clothing store, but the image they used was what caught my eye. I could recognize it anywhere. The woman lay on the pavement as a man holds her in a kissing embrace, they are just behind a police baracade. It was none other than the iconic photo from the Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup riot. “Love Wins” the sign read.
Now that image was completely taken out of context, but it definitely stuck with me for much of the afternoon. Right up until I rounded a corner and bumped into a very friendly mime. A mime that was so friendly that he thought it only right to plant a big ol’ kiss right on my lips. I had reminents of white paint on my face for the rest of the day. I’m not exactly sure “love won” that day, but I definitely learned a lot about Italians.
Just A Small Town Girl 