If You Can't Live Longer, Live Deeper

That is an old Italian proverb, and (to me, at least) it resonates with the following: travel. There is no better way to get the most out of life than to travel.

Now, I'll admit, I've been lucky in life. I was fortunate enough to have gone on many trips when I was younger, and I am still fortunate that I have the funds and the ability to continue going on them now. I consider myself a citizen of the world (cliché, I know), even though at most, I am a New Yorker.

So, here is a recollection of the various places I have visited over the course of the last 10 years. The countries, in chronological order, are as follows: Italy, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, France, Canada. The cities will be listed below.

2007. Rome, Venice, Milan, Torino, Florence, Capri, Naples, Sorrento, Lucca, Pisa, Tuscany.

There is a saying out there: "You can have the universe if I can have Italy". I agree, perhaps a little too wholeheartedly. There is something about Italy that just grabs you; whether it be the history and culture that engulf Rome, the vineyards and sunsets of the Tuscan hills, the pizza of Naples, the inescapable feeling of hope in Venice, the architecture of Milan, or the limoncello produced in Capri. The people are some of the nicest, the language is absolutely gorgeous, and there is something for everyone. The people there are good-looking (true for most of Europe, in fact), well-spoken, and appreciate the small things. Being able to be amongst them for the time that I was was truly liberating. They are rude and kind at the same time, something that is missing in the city I call home. I particularly enjoyed the villa that I stayed in in Tuscany, nothing I have encountered to this day has matched the tranquility that I found in those hills. The pizza in Naples is to die for, and as much as I love myself some of that Brooklyn goodness, the margherita I had whilst in Naples is still fresh in my mind. Rome is home to the Coliseum, somewhat smack dab in the middle of the city. Milan has got it's Duomos and gallerias, and is basically a bustling hub similar to NYC. Some of the world's best dressed people reside in Milan. However, my favorite of all these places was Capri, a little island in the bay of Naples. If anything, the thrill of riding the bus up the mountainside (which didn't have any guardrails) was more than any roller-coaster ever gave me. The people were the most accommodating, and it's on the island where I met an expat who had been residing there for 20 years (at that time). He taught me a little bit of Italian as he told me stories about his travels, and his stories inspired me to fill those blank pages of my passport. (Side note: He gave me his address on the island and if I can find it in my box of stuff I keep from my travels, I'll pay him a visit again one day, given he's still there.) And yea, I will be back. I won't be doing the typical tourist things that I did during my first go around No matter where I go in this world, Italy is special enough to warrant a re-visit.

2010. Cancun.

I'll be honest, this vacation was more than I expected. I wanted to experience the beach resort life that everyone had told me about. I fully expected to be bored out of my mind while sitting on a couch on the beaches of Cancun, as I am not a beach-goer. Sure, it's enjoyable, but I'd rather put my time to use exploring or city walking whilst judging the locals (yes, I'm from New York). Anyways, I ended up going on some expeditions in the land of the Mayan that really got my adrenaline pumping, and then I had some of the spiciest salsa I'd ever laid my tastebuds on. Everyone I met was super nice, except for the one woman who tried to con my dad into a timeshare, and overall the experience was incredible. While I enjoyed everything I did here (let me tell you, if you've never jet-skied before, you need to do so), beach-resorts are not really my "thing". But hey, things change with time, so I might just find myself back in one of these resorts before I realize it. Definitely worth a visit if you've never been.

2013. Sevilla, Valencia, Barcelona.

My college graduation trip was a trip across the Atlantic to the land of Don Quixote. I remember planning everything for this trip; places I would go, times I would have to myself, restaurants I would eat at, things I would do. I did the same thing for Italy, but about 3 hours after I had landed in Seville I found myself just throwing out everything and just went with the flow. This was because, in large part, the hotel I had booked in Seville had closed due to unforeseen circumstances. They had in fact set us up with an upgrade (a hotel in the middle of the action), but I didn't know about it until after I had landed and I had no access to WiFi at that time and the whole experience wracked my nerves. After about 2 hours of frantically explaining everything in English to a non-English speaking bookstore keeper, someone had overheard my plight and told me in rapid-fire Spanish what had happened and took me to the new hotel after allowing me to check my email on his laptop. (Muchisímas gracias, Feliciano.) From there, the rest of the trip was nothing short of spectacular. (Except for the fact that the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias didn't have any lights like I'd seen in the pictures, and the taxi-driver didn't tell us until we got there, probably because he wanted the fare.) The Spanish live life with a certain fire, a passion, that cannot be explained. It is different from both the Italians and the French. It's sort of a mix of the other two, but something completely separate altogether. And this is in no way an insult to the Italians, but I'd take sharing a meal with a Spaniard any day of the week. I found conversations with them more engaging, perhaps both because they were more open, and because they seemed more willing to talk even though I wasn't fluent in their native language. (The Italians warmed up a lot once I broke out my ever-broken Italian, but before that seemed a little more distant.) Also, I was more fluent in Spanish in Spain than in Italian in Italy, if that makes sense. Maybe that had something to do with it. The cities were charming, each one with it's own distinct flavor, but nothing that I hadn't seen previously in Italy (yes, I know I am drawing comparisons at every possible opportunity.) Barcelona is worth a re-visit, as it had a perfect mix of architecture and city life for me, and when that happens it'll be with the added benefit of speaking the language of the land. All in all, the food was outstanding, the people even more so, and the scenery wasn't half bad.

2016. Buenos Aires, Bariloche.

This trip was actually supposed to have happened in 2014, but due to a series of unforeseen circumstances (maybe the bad luck from the hotel in Spain was still lingering...), it got pushed back 2 years. And to be honest, that was probably the best thing that could've happened to me. I joined WhatsApp in 2016 and started learning spanish (of the Argentinian variety) as a hobby and so when I arrived in Buenos Aires in late November, I was able to blend in a little more than most tourists. (Actually, I was on the verge of tears my first day as I understood nothing during the first 2 days of my trip despite having practiced with Argentines. By the third day though, I was getting the hang of just how quickly and how much slang they use in their everyday lives.) But aside from that, I quickly jumped into the scene in the bustling capital of this land of silver. I found myself ordering milanesas, medialunas and sandwiches de miga at every possible opportunity. And beef. Oh man, if only I could count in pounds the amount of beef I ate over the 11 days I was there. (Bueno mejor me callo porque la sigo cagando.) Anyways, as with most countries that I visit, there was a rich history here. I'm not a history buff so I sort of powered through all the historical landmarks so I could free up more time to eat at more parilladas (grills). If you haven't gone, go. The beef in Argentina is to die for. I'm planning to go back just for that. Argentinians are also some of the friendliest people I have ever met (hmm...maybe this is a trend). They greet you (a complete stranger) with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, something a New Yorker such as myself is completely unfamiliar with. (I'm lucky if no one curses me out on the subway for accidentally standing too close to them.) They were quick to invite me to (and pay for, on various occasions) a meal and wine. (It wasn't until I went to Argentina that I realized how good wine could be.) Then, I hopped on a plane to Bariloche (the Switzerland of South America, they say) and it was even better. Obviously they had the beef as well, but they also had some local dishes and the scenery was breathtaking. And fewer people in Bariloche spoke English, which worked out in the end for me as I got to practice Spanish with natives. Win-win. Bariloche is known for their chocolate, and I'll just say that I brought some chocolate home and I've actually dreamt that I was eating it again. It's definitely up there, with their beef. Also have I mentioned how great the people are? Anyways, it was pretty incredible. I'm definitely going to have to book a return trip to further explore Patagonia and perhaps even Ushuaia, el fin del mundo. But even if I don't make it back down there, I'll be content with what I did experience.

2017. Paris.

On my list of places that are worth a re-visit, Paris tops them all. Yes, Italy has it's charm (there we go with the comparisons again), Spain it's passion, and Argentina it's beef, but Paris is probably the greatest city in the world. It has everything you could ever want within all 20 arrondissements, from the food to the people to the culture to the life. While Parisians weren't the warmest people (a little more reserved than their Western European counterparts), they were very nice and weren't nearly as rude or arrogant as everyone draws them up to be. Plus, they crack jokes at the Brits at any given opportunity (sorry, my British friends). The city is very well organized, and it didn't take long to figure out the confusing-looking subway map. All the tourist spots are beyond readily accessible, but this time I decided to venture out into the lesser known arrondissements to live life like a local. I discovered some of the best bread, pastries, and finger food I've ever had out there and believe me, I've had a lot of food. And the best part was that I just ate everything I bought right there on the street! While walking! That was a great experience in itself. At night, the street lights turn the city into something magical. Walk the Champs-Elysses at night and then tell me you don't agree. And yes, everywhere you go, tourists from all over the world are there. But isn't that good? Doesn't that say something when everyone in the world has heard of the city and wants to go there? The Parisians are experts at taking their time at doing everything, and that is something I wish we could adopt here in the city. All the restaurants serve great food, which is something unheard of in the city, where only the locals know how to navigate. Paris is designed to help it's visitors get the most out of it. And, while you could spent a year exploring Paris and still not be done, things you must do when there include going on day trips to the chateaux and the vineyards. Monet's garden is also a good choice, but if you're not a flower buff like I am, it's going to seem boring. The chateaux are worth every penny, as are all the samples of wines you taste on those tours. And, on my next visit, I'll head to the south of France as well. I had actually gone to Paris 23 years ago, but you can bet it won't be 23 years before I visit the city of lights again.

2017. Niagara Falls, Toronto.

Maple syrup and lumberjacks. That's what I used to think of my homeland's neighbor to the north. "What could possibly be up there worth visiting? They put out Justin Bieber, for crying out loud" I would think to myself. Then, at the constant nagging of my mother to visit one of earth's greatest natural wonders, I took an extended weekend up there to see for myself. And what a surprise it was. At least in Niagara Falls, the Canadian side is light years ahead of the American side, mostly due to the fact that the horseshoe falls falls there, eh? But in all seriousness, whilst the American side looks like the beginning of "28 Days Later" (that post-apocalyptic film set in London), the Canadian side is bustling with a spirit and life that I didn't know could exist where the temperature drops below -10C. But alas, it was, and perhaps the nicest part of the trip was that it fell on Canada Day. Who knew that Canada has only officially existed for 150 years, eh? Not I. Anyways, the falls were nice, and they were even nicer at night when they shine 70,000K lumens of artificial light in order to give the appearance of colors. If you go, make sure you go behind the falls. You'll go through a series of tunnels and end up literally behind the gushing waterfalls. Outside of the falls itself, there isn't much else to do (figures, it's Canada). And it was really a damn shame that all the good restaurants closed at 10 PM. Since I like to squeeze the most out of my days when I'm on vacation, I was left eating whatever leftovers they reheated at the Applebee's next to my hotel. At least the staff was nice. Again, Canada. After two days of running around the falls, I got in my rental car and drove an hour north, through literally absolutely nothing, to get to Toronto. The city is bustling, not surprising considering that the Greater Toronto Area houses more than 1/4th of the country's population, and is home to some delightful eats. Some of North America's best food can be found here, and I don't say that lightly as I come from one of the culinary capitals of the world. I spent the entire day walking around from open joint to open joint just to try it out, and the italian place I settled on during my only day there was a treat indeed. Kudos to them for not making me think about the food I had in Italy. Unfortunately, Toronto is lacking in terms of sights to see. The CN tower is just a touch overrated, overpriced, and overcrowded. Also, there are not one, but two major sports arenas within walking distance in the center of the city! What is that? Is there nothing else worth building? The business district is home to some major financial corporations, but it is almost a carbon copy of NYC's financial district. The architecture is stunningly similar. Also, the city spent around $400,000 for a rubber duck to just float casually on the pier. Plus side? It's a nice pier. The city-scape as taken from Lake Ontario is decent, but what really made it (for me), was that the water was actually clear. You wont't find that in the uber-polluted Hudson. Regardless, an excellent experience that would make me think about coming back. Oh, and yea, Canadians are super nice. Maybe a little too nice, but don't worry, you'll get over your suspicion quickly.