High School Syndrome: A strong sense of longing and compulsion to be in Italy. May result in extensive planning and browsing of photos, but very rarely ends in an actual trip.

Straight up guesstimate I spent at least 50% of my last three years at school planning eurotrips. I always make it there eventually, but usually not as soon as I would like, and never as soon as I could get to the airport after whatever class I was in. The closest I got to that was last year when I was like Oi Patrick let's go to Italy in a couple of weeks and he was like kkz. That was a pretty quick turnaround. But living in Australia it takes a bit more effort to get to Europe than it does from London.

I never understand why people who live in England aren't just in Europe all the time. If I lived there full time and getting in and out of the country without border patrol throwing a tanty was easier I would genuinely be in Italy probably at least once a month. I love it so much. 

When I was younger my grandparents would rent an apartment in Venice every couple of years and we would go there for the summer, so I feel really comfortable there and it's tied with Rome as my favourite city. Rome is almost on another level though because I'm somewhat obsessed with history, especially Ancient Rome and Egypt, and by extension with ruins. Ostia Antica and the Forum and little bits of ancient rubble sticking up out of pits in the street make me so frickin happy I can not even explain. I do have my limit though, and by week 3 of the school Classics trip around southern Italy I went on at the start of year 10 I was over it. No more temples, I prayed. No more temples please. Especially Greek temples. Because for some reason I don't understand I do not care about Ancient Greece. Doric, ionic, pentatonic please no. And then we went to the Valley of the Temples.

So yes, I'm not a limitless ball of archaeological enthusiasm, but a wander around the forum in between photo ops and pizza has never gone astray.

Italy in summer is crowded and boiling but the atmosphere is amazing. I've been to Rome a couple of times in winter and it's a lot less crowded, but not drastically different. On the other hand, Venice seems like two completely different places depending on when you go. I wrote a piece for one of my creative writing classes last year based entirely on the fact that going to Venice in winter feels like you've accidentally stumbled across a secret you weren't meant to know. It's so empty compared to summer, and there's mist over the lagoon and the bigger canals. It's so eerie and you feel a bit exposed because of the lack of tourists, but once you get over that it's amazing; you can walk through the side streets without bumping into anyone, and one day Patrick and I sat in the middle of St Mark's Square at a cafe for hours just writing and drawing and hanging out. It was peaceful and chilled out on a level that I don't think you can really get in summer.

Unless you go during aqua alta, then I presume it is somewhat less relaxing.

This internship has made me realise that while I can deal with working in an office 9-5 for now, I'm definitely going to need a job when I'm older that involves traveling or working from home at least a few days a week. Probably more on that side of things later, but for now I'm going to get back to working. Contrary to how it may seem I have actually been quite productive today. Holler.

 RIP Patrick's accidental That 70s Show hair