Growing In Orvieto

Back again with more prose from your pro! As my time in Rome progresses, the busier I get with papers and finals. Unfortunately, I only have a couple weeks left in my program. :( However, I still found time to get away and discover new aspects of myself. Sorry dudes, this post is going to be a little selfish.

Knowing that time was of the essence, I booked a solo trip a couple weeks ago to Orvieto. If you know me, you know that I am a VERY sociable person. I love to chat with people and “talk story”. (Talk story is a Hawaiian/pidgin phrase that means to talk about your current state of life or what you have done.) Thus, it is out of character to want to do a solo trip. Nevertheless, this trip wasn’t about what is in my comfort zone. I didn’t travel to Italy to stay in my comfort zone; I came to grow. I’m at my caterpillar-like stage, and I want to transform into a beautiful butterfly in which I fly to new heights.

Okay. Now that I’m done being dramatic. I can tell you what happened in Orvieto. The reason I booked the trip to Orvieto was simple: it’s a small mountainside town with a lot to look at, but not much to do. The main attraction is the Duomo di Orvieto, which has a spectacular and monumental face of mosaic. If you know me, you know that I love a spectacular and monumental mosaic.

First thing to do is hop on the Metro to take be to Termi. Then, I catch my trenitalia to Orvieto at 11:10 a.m. I was 10 minutes early. Wow, I’m good at this planning stuff, or so I thought...I make it to Orvieto at 12:15. After hopelessly fumbling into the city, I view the grand sight of the Duomo di Orvieto. The time was about 2 p.m. Jeez. Can’t plan for being dumb. As I get to the city, I realize that I forgot to pack my SD card for my card. *Palm to face emoji* Oh, well! I suck it up because our great-grandparents would have killed for the technology we have in our pockets. Long story short, I explored the Duomo and the city for the next three hours, took some great pictures on my phone, journaled, and learned a good deal. Going back to the station, it was revealed to me that there was a super easy trolley to take up and down the mountain. This would have been awesome to know before I did my own thing, got lost, and hiked two miles uphill. I easily turned a normal  four-mile Orvieto stroll and tour into a 10-mile expedition to find the monumental mosaic. I release a big sigh when I take my seat on the train home. Nothing I can do about my mistakes, but learn from them and move on. At least, the pictures turned out well. 

What I learned...

One, I am not a good planner and need to work on that. Two, looking around for the right directions at the train station might save you some trouble. Three, transportation is a key part of travel and should be researched. Four, remember to check your bag for everything you might need. Five and most importantly, I learned I don’t like traveling alone. I prefer to share the experience with someone; the interaction helps make my experience.

Did I enjoy my experience at Orvieto? Good question, thank you for asking. Yes. I enjoyed it for what it was: a learning experience. Will I travel alone again? Most likely, but I will keep it to a minimum. Will I wing it on a solo trip in the future? No, I will thoroughly research and make sure I know what to do and how to do it properly.

So long, and I'll catch you on my next fumbled adventure!