fuck it

it has been one of those weeks.

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(image sources here)

venice

Third Stop: Venice

Venice, the most beautiful city on Earth. Full of  secret alleyways, glittering facades, and romantic shuttered windows, we spent a day and a half there, but not long enough. We wandered around, got lost in the labyrinth, ate the best meal of our lives, and visited a Salvador Dali exhibit that blew our minds. The hostel was horrible, but there was a bed, and that was all we needed besides each other in this city. We could have wandered around for days and been equally elated every moment. 

ringing rocks

On Saturday, Adam and I visited the mysterious Ringing Rocks in Bucks County, PA. A strange and beautiful phenomenon found right in the middle of nature, the field of sonorous boulders create different pitches when struck with a hammer. You can tap around and make varying tunes, but scientists have yet to find out exactly why the rocks ring. According the VisitPhilly.com they have looked for reasons, such as high background radiation, abnormal magnetic fields, or strange electromagnetic activity, but haven't found any explanations. There are other fields around the world, in places such as Montana and Western Australia, where the abnormality has mysteriously occurred. Perhaps we'll just have to be content enjoying their music without a scientific explanation as to why.

florence part two

I kind of love that it's taken me so long to get through these photos. Three weeks later I can be reminded of our morning climb through the fog to Florence's outlaying village, Fiesole. I get to relive the cappucinos and beautiful views at every turn. I miss days spent entirely on foot exploring and experiencing life outside of the norm. Florence was surely full of fun beyond our adventures in the kitchen. Going through these photos was the perfect "hump day" therapy that I needed.

munich: part one

Back from my vacation! 

First stop: Munich, Germany

In Munich we did all of the typical things. The misty grey skies force you into the German way of life, and there isn't much avoiding it. We sat for hours in the beer garden at the Hoffbrauhaus, drank steins full of Hefewiezen, and ate our stomachs full. Unfortunately, we didn't find Oktoberfest to be as much fun as we had hoped. Luckily the nightlife, restaurants, and cafes of Munich made up for it. 

I fell in love with the city itself. I could have sat for hours sipping on coffee, munching on a plate full of cheese, while reading my book and staring out at the calm scenery. Everyone was warm, and the streets felt clean and modern (as modern as a European city gets). It is a place in which nobody locks up their bikes or has to go through a turn style to get on the subway. What a blast of refreshment it was that there exists such a large population of simply honest and good people.  

I can't wait to go back someday.

radiolab: limits of the body

If you never listen to Radiolab, you should. I caught this episode in the car the other day when I was driving to go do one of the most physically taxing things I've ever done. I swear the universe knew that I was going to need a little help with what was coming next. 

I was off to backpack for the very first time in my life. Little did I know that I would be set into a state of panic the minute I stepped out on the trail. Climbing straight up a mountain of boulders, with 30lbs on my back, I thought I was never going to make it through the next two days.

With the topics of this episode, "Limits of the Body," fresh on my brain, I was ready to push those limits though. I didn't care that my body ached like hell, or that my backpack was chaffing against my hip bone. I had just learned about the delusions that our minds create. They really are tricky little things, sending signals of pain and fatigue when you actually have more power and energy than they would like you to believe. 

My brain was trying to confine me, telling me that I was in pain, telling me that I couldn't do it. I could no longer be fooled.

If someone could bike for 3 days straight, without sleep, and under strenuous conditions (like the interviewees in the segment), then I could overcome these signals of confinement - reach beyond my limits and climb this mountain.  I knew that I had to actively use the power of my thoughts to overcome the overwhelming instinct that was telling me to give up. 

I pushed, believing that my body - and my mind - were capable.

I made it.

I now know that there are no limits except death, so I will keep on pushing.

--

Listen: Limits of the Body - Radiolab

wind gap to water gap

Adam, Nick, Naomi, Marley, and Mary-Jane venture into the woods. We did 16 miles of the Appalachian trail in two days - from Wind Gap, PA to Water Gap, PA. The trail was rocky as hell and there was a steady mist, but there was nowhere else we would have rather been. They were two of  the toughest, and yet some of the best days in a long while.