Italy

Last week I watched a movie with my grandma called Summertime. It starred Katherine Hepburn and was filmed in 1955. The whole plot centers around a lonely American woman who has always wanted to venture to Venice, Italy, in pursuit of something that she can't name. In one scene, Jane (the protagonist) is sitting in the center of a gorgeous square at a cafe table. She sees dozens of couples strolling past, hand in hand, gazing into each other's eyes. She wants that too. I saw myself in her.

As the story unfolds, Jane finds herself in love with a Venetian man, Renato. Renato has a secret and their love is doomed from the start. The thing is, Jane finds what was missing in her life in Italy.

Italy is a place on the map, a rotating spot on a spinning globe. It is a country that has seen centuries and centuries of war and strife, beauty and enlightenment.

Hearing its name, seeing pictures of all its glory, reading about its illustrious history, makes my chest fill with longing. If I could go anywhere, I would choose Italy.

Italy holds something for me, just like it held something for Jane in the movie. I realize that she is a fictional character, but I believe that if I just had the chance to go to Italy, I would find something that would fill a missing piece, even though I do not know what I am searching for.

Ah, Italy.