Going with the flow

“Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.”
~ Ray Bradbury

One of the many reasons that I think travel is so great – for everyone, but for me especially – is that it really forces you to let go. You can have the most airtight, perfectly organized itinerary and an expertly packed suitcase that would turn on Marie Kondo, but things are still going to go wrong. Not that anything has gone awry on the trip so far – far from it – but in the span of three weeks, something will. I got a very small reminder of that last night, like a gentle nudge from the universe to remember to just go with the flow.

At the recommendation of the hotel concierge, I made a reservation at Restaurant Giacomo for dinner. (An aside here – when I asked where she thought I should go, she first asked me what I would like to eat… meat or fish? I love that the Italians start with the food, not the restaurant.) The taxi driver, though, took me to Giacomo Bistrot. Same owners, totally different restaurant. But whatever….they had a table, so I happily sat while they called the other restaurant to let them know that the confused American would not be needing the other reservation.

What followed was so lovely….and I am sure everyone says that about their first meal in Italy, but it wasn’t just the food. Though the food was fabulous. Apparently truffles from Alba, just a couple hours drive from Milan, are available earlier than usual this year…lucky me. This risotto with fresh shaved white truffle was absulutely transcendant.

I took long enough to eat dinner that two different couples sat next to me. The first had two adorable small dogs with them – dogs are allowed everywhere here, which I love. All small dogs, though, to be fair…it’s not like anyone brings a Rottweiler to dinner. This little lady posed for me as they were paying their check.

The second couple was from Saudi Arabia and after chatting for all of two minutes, I learned that the husband got his undergraduate degree in….wait for it….Pueblo, Colorado. Gotta love a small world. I loved having someone with whom to share something I thought was so funny – in the all of 8 hours I had been in Milan so far, two separate people (both hotel employees, just chatting and being friendly), upon finding out that I was from Colorado, asked me if I rode a horse. Well, I said, I have ridden a horse before, but on a regular basis, no. They both seemed really disappointed to hear that. They imagined, I suppose, that everyone in Colorado lives on a ranch. Yes, said the man from Saudi Arabia, everyone thinks we have a pet camel. His wife laughed and nodded. We’re all strangers somewhere, aren’t we.