By night, I walked the narrow streets imagining what it could’ve been like before, taken back to a place and time hundreds of years ago. Just a best friend and a backpack stuffed with a week’s worth of clothing to keep me company, the sense of history and art was an amazing first step into Italy. The damp cool air hinted at winter and promised a thrilling trip. The magic of Venice by night is what I remember most vividly; With all the tourists retreating to restaurants and their hotels, the dark streets almost seemed calm compared to the circus of the day. With no accommodation plans or hostel, we walked around in a daze admiring the luxurious and decadent city center loving the fact that we were truly living an off-the-beaten-path-adventure. With the night getting darker and darker, we wandered and inquired at every hotel we could until we found a creaky old hostel late in the night. This was my first experience in a hostel, sharing a kitchen table with people from all different walks of life and countries. We shared snacks from our home countries that we happened to have on us, talked about our unique life experiences, and at that moment I knew I loved being part of a larger dialogue about the world.

VENEZIA: