I Climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa

September 5, 2022

Buonasera from my quaint apartment in the heart of Florence! It's been a while since I've sat down and journaled about my time here in Italy. So much has happened and I wish I could recount it all, but today I want to talk about my day trip to Pisa.

Moving abroad has been far from an easy experience (per my previous post). It's been emotional, exciting, and challenging. I have spent so much time with my heart set on living a nomadic lifestyle, and it never occurred to me that I may not like travel as much as I enjoyed consuming and creating travel oriented content. My first week here was draining. And if I am being completely transparent, between jet lag and missing my family, I was craving home. I started to worry: what if I'm not cut out for the nomadic lifestyle? Do I have to start over and find a new dream?

Little did I know, I would find all of the reassurance that I needed at the very top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

After a week of settling into my new home, I began craving adventure. So, my friends and I raced to the train station after school one day, purchased last minute tickets through trainline.com (highly recommend the app if you are traveling Europe), and made our way to the historic city of Pisa.

Right out of the train station, the city seemed like any other. In fact, we found ourselves skeptical that we would find anything particularly exciting. For whatever reason, all of the locals we talked to before the trip seemed unimpressed by the city. But with a curiosity we needed to satisfy for ourselves, we pushed forward. The walk from Pisa Centrale train station to the city center is not far, only about fifteen minutes. And as if out of nowhere, the great, historical Leaning Tower of Pisa appeared from behind the cluster of buildings. I stared up at the behemoth, and was amazed by what was before me. Beginning its construction in 1175, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bit of an architectural wonder of the world. Originally designed to be a bell tower, the shifting soil beneath the structure's foundation caused it to lean slightly. The city attempted to rebuild three times, and unfortunately, made things worse with every attempt. Perhaps it did not become the bell tower that was originally planned so many hundreds of years ago, but the structure that remains today holds more history than is fathomable upon first glance. Amazingly, the architect who designed the tower remains a mystery.

If you ever find yourself in Pisa, take the time to climb the tower (and take cheesy pictures pretending to hold it up). Something magical happened as I climbed those stairs to a total of eight stories. With each step, something in me seemed to change. The first story was a silly journey up. Our bodies were shocked by the way that the structure leaned, and we could not hold back our giggles as we fell from side to side. But the further up we climbed, the more silent, pensive, and contemplative each of us became. I started to pay attention to the way my hands grazed the walls and my feet landed on each step. I thought about how old the structure was, how many people had visited before me, and what a privilege it was to get to experience its history firsthand. Not only was I immersed in the history, but I realized that I was living the life that was nothing more than a dream only a year ago. I had spontaneously hopped on a train and traveled to a new place. I immersed myself in a new culture. I asked questions and spoke Italian to a local (who was very appreciative. I'll never forget the way her face lit up at the sight of a tourist trying to relate and find common ground across cultures). When we reached the top, my friends and I put our phones away, and just sat. We looked at the city before us, and the mountains shadowed behind it. We breathed it all in, embracing the discomfort of being foreigners. We discussed old adventures and new adventures. We connected in one of the most beautiful historic sights Italy has to offer.

I'll never forget my trip to Pisa. And don't get me wrong, I have definitely had hard days since then. Take today for example: I walked about two miles from the grocery store to my apartment, dropping things every five seconds, begging the pity and laughter of pretty much everyone witnessing my misfortune. Living abroad isn't easy. But it is so special. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and my day trip to Pisa helped show me that travel and adventure aren't a waste of time. It won't always be easy, but it will always be worth it. And I intend on documenting it all, good and bad.