Crowd Control

In the United States the sidewalks are a clear and convenient safe haven for traveling by foot; in Italy they are a hotspot for injury and insult. One will rarely experience a walk without catching a swift elbow, insulting comment, or degrading look. Florentines have a minimal sense of speed control and are either color blind to stop signs/lights or are so sick of tourists invading their hometown that their goal is to mow them down like spiders in the bathroom. My assumption on sidewalk life in Venice is that the lack of roads in general perpetuates the aggression on the walkways. Between the massive tourist groups and the fed-up locals; walking on a in Venice was like Cal’s final play versus Stanford in ’82—crowded beyond belief, over flowing with Americans, and only believable after witnessing or viewing the event.

Although far from perfect, tolerance of ethnic diversity has been improving throughout American history. I wont pretend like negative comments no longer happen but when they do, bring extreme awkwardness or altercations. All it took to hear judgmental commentary in Venice was to carry a backpack or think about whipping out a map. I was walking by myself past the twentieth of three thousand lace stands when I bumped into two locals—the looks on their faces made me glad I couldn’t understand their insults about my American identity.

Hot enough to cook medium rare steak, rainforest-esq. climate, whimpering all night until finally falling asleep; those descriptions normally illustrate grills in the process of heating up, potential vacation weather, and dogs locked outside in a rainstorm not a group of twenty something college students on a trip of a lifetime. It turns out that record breaking heat waves and absent air-conditioning don’t mix.

Long lines at the concession stand, screaming twenty to thirty year olds, and Aerosmith is not what you typically expect to hear when asking about someone’s first experience in Venice, Italy. The Heineken Jammin’ Fest was one of the best nights of my life: new friends, great music, and a beautiful summer night. Perfect yet bittersweet. It seems like shame to spend a night in one of the most unique cities in the world at an Americanized event; but I’m not ashamed to recognize my reality—I am an American and Aerosmith dominates.