STORIES / TRUE STORY

Naivety of My 22-Year-Old Self

My European trip into a world unknown

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We parted ways at the departure gate. Dad and I had never been apart. He was nervous. I was excited. At 22, in what now feels like a lifetime ago, I was traveling to Europe to see the world by myself, naïve, fearless, and unprepared for how much it would change me. It was my first trip out of my country, the United States. My itinerary included a visit to Rome, then Florence, next Zurich, and finally Madrid. I would be traveling for close to one month!

Filled with anticipation and trepidation, I stepped off the plane with my heart racing, retrieved my baggage, and, with shallow breaths, stepped into the terminal. I had arrived in Rome! It felt as if I was in slow motion. I looked around everywhere, into the shining sun reflecting onto the cobblestone streets, taking in as much as I could for the first few moments, and the very first and only thing I noticed was that everyone was very short! In fact, everyone was shorter than me! I am 5’9”. It was a bit weird!

My second impression led me to believe that Italians looked and acted the same as anyone else; other than being shorter than me, they were doing what people do. I was disappointed! Italians looked like everyone else did in New York! Busy streets, not crazy like Manhattan, but everyone was walking in different directions, chatting with each other, smiling, laughing, just going about their business, to work, or home, or just out for the day. What on earth did I expect? Did I think there would be aliens there?

Italy was filled with very warm, friendly, welcoming people!

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I spent a great deal of time in the Vatican, mostly with my mouth agape at the enormous beauty of Michelangelo’s and Raphael’s ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms.

I was not an artist at that point and had no idea that I would become one. I was brought up in a cultured family with my dad being a commercial artist. We went to museums often, but this was not like anything I had ever seen before. Imagine magnificent paintings on the ceiling and walls — just breathtaking!

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When I was a child, one of my favorite movies was Three Coins in a Fountain. I dreamed of one day throwing coins into this stunning fountain. And here I was — my dream had come true! Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) in Rome — one of the most iconic Baroque landmarks in the world, right before my eyes! I threw many coins into the fountain, making many wishes!

When I visited Florence, I still had not recovered from the magnificence of Rome, and then became enthralled with the sight of Michelangelo’s statue of David, one of the most celebrated masterpieces of Renaissance art. The statue was carved between 1501 and 1504 and stood over 17 feet tall in marble. A sculpture like no other!

Next on my itinerary was Zurich. I stayed in a Pensione (a small hotel), and with sheer luck, met three girls around my age who came from Canada. We had a spectacular time roaming the beautiful, well-kept streets, new to me and filled with charm. Everything was so clean compared to New York! I suppose that is an offbeat observation to first notice when visiting a country, but it was sparkling like someone had applied Mr. Clean to every surface in sight. I was used to Manhattan and its litter, and this was refreshing!

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The cable cars! Lord, they were impressive! Sometimes, when I describe this adventure, I forget about the Alps and how extraordinary they were because to be suspended so high above the earth, without the safety of a plane, was remarkable in itself. A memory I will never forget!

Madrid reminded me of Manhattan. The hustle and bustle and the crowds were all too similar to New York, and I initially found it disappointing until…

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Bullfighting! How exciting to hear the roar of the crowds, the trumpets blowing, and then matadors marching towards their enemy with fearless precision, flaring the red capes to lure the bull, hoping for triumph but aware of the risk of death.

I went back the following day to witness another dramatic event. But this time tragedy struck — one of the matadors was killed! It was heartbreaking and frightening for me to even remember, a memory I can barely bring myself to recall.

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A happy ending to my European trip into a world unknown:* *Flamenco dancing!** I had never seen such vibrant colors or such passionate movement before. The women’s dresses flared in rhythm as their heels struck the floor with rapid intensity, accompanied by a superb guitar performance! This was a celebration of life after witnessing the disaster in the bullring. A perfect finale to my trip!

All these years later, I still feel joy thinking back to this incredible time in my life and laugh at my naivety when I arrived on European soil!

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If you enjoyed this memoir, you might enjoy my other memoirs: Education Saved Me: A Memoir of Struggle and Strength | by Naomi E. Kennedy | The Memoirist | Medium ; My Life Began on the River. A Memoir: My Love for the Hudson River… | by Naomi E. Kennedy | The Memoirist | Oct, 2025 | Medium

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