Goodbye New Zealand, hello Italy

thetruth

I arrived in New Zealand in October 2013. Almost a year later, I’m going to leave New Zealand.

I decided to come in New Zealand to say hello to my sister-in-law, and visit the country. After 5 days, I started working here and so I ended up staying for a year, going up and down the North and South islands, changing two jobs, going to Sydney for a three day trip, meeting a lot of good people, meeting some not-that-good people.

New Zealand is a country that makes me excited and angry at the same time. I loved the general attitude of kiwis, I loved the black beaches, I loved swimming in the ocean (keep in mind I don’t swim, I survive when in water), I loved the birds everywhere. I didn’t love the massive use of cars, the sucking transportation system in Auckland, the waste of energy (houses here are extremely cold at winter and with no isolation).

But there is one thing I immediately missed when I arrived here: the culture. In New Zealand you can find a different type of culture compared to Europe, and that’s totally fine. But the lack of art galleries, museums, music events, art events and so on is something I realize I was missing like crazy and at certain point was unbearable. It’s really true one thing I read in a travel blog one day: the best things of a country are usually the worst things of that country.

You like sports? Fixing stuff for your house? New Zealand is your country and a beautiful one too. You like to walk around the city not having a car breathing culture? I don’t think New Zealand is for you.

New Zealand treated me very good, and I’m extremely thankful for that. But I’d like to suggest to New Zealand to be more open to learn from other countries in terms of organizing events, shows, exhibitions. Culture never hurt anyone.

Well, goodbye New Zealand. 

dance

On september 24th, I will land in Venice, Italy. After few days at my parents’ house, I will start the new chapter of my life in Milan. I know Milan already, but like you know a city where you spent 48 hours top each time you go there.

It’s weird to me thinking to go back to Italy, and live there, and work there. Somehow I never pictured myself in Italy, and now it’s happening, ready to see how my country is doing, ready to change my mind on some fears I have, ready to meet some good friends again. I love to push myself in order to change my mind, because it’s true the worst things I’m seeing around are usually coming from people having big problems to change their mind about something.

I’m ready to be a tourist in my own country. I want to discover Milan, I want to discover other parts of Italy that I never managed to visit.

Well, hello Italy.

“when I say nothing, I say everything”

rain