Searching for the places I'll never want to leave...

I’m back in Portland now after a year of traveling around Europe. I’ve started a new job and am generally “getting on with my life” but I’m not quite ready to put the whole thing on a shelf and call it a day. Last summer I decided to figure out how I could wander around Europe on a budget and and a work exchange was the perfect way to do it.

My first stop was Feltre, a town in northern Italy not far from Venice. My home for the next ten days would be a beautiful B&B in a 16th century villa on a hillside overlooking the Dolomite Mountains that had been a retreat for Venetian nobility back in the day. Surrounding us were vineyards, streams and dense dark green woods.

I was nervous about staying with strangers (and even more nervous about being stranded with them) but both of those concerns faded quickly. In the mornings, I’d wake up to coffee and toast with gorgeous views of the valley below before spending the day tidying, gardening and generally living a domestic fantasy with a to-do list that included activities like playing with the kids and planting potatoes. At lunch time the entire family would gather around a delicious spread of homemade Italian food and wine taken leisurely on the patio followed by a few more hours of work. As the sun set each evening, we’d convene again for yet another beautiful meal before washing dishes and turning in for the night. On our days off, I wasn’t even itching to leave or even to visit nearby Venice. I was already in heaven.

The most memorable experience there though, was the first time I saw fireflies. It might not seem like a big deal to most people but unlike almost everywhere else, we don’t have fireflies in the western United States where I’ve spent most of my life. One night, while taking down laundry from the wire, I saw my first one. Instantly six years old, I debated following these fairies into the forest and demanding they introduce me to their fairy queen. Even now, I’m convinced fireflies are magical creatures. The whole experience still feels like a perfect dream; a look at the good life with a touch of magic.