Down the Rabbit Hole

I'll never forget the advice I was given while on a 4-week exchange program in Florence, Italy. I was living in a beautiful university-owned flat overlooking the Duomo; we were on the third floor, and Ristorante Buca San Giovanni was on the first.

One evening in Florence, my flatmate and I joined Giovanni, the fascinating restaurant owner downstairs for a glass (or, rather, a few glasses) of wine. For hours we discussed cultural differences, compared our life philosophies, and learned how to select and serve an excellent drink. Around two in the morning, we popped open a bottle of champagne, cried “Salute!”, and toasted ourselves on living life to the fullest. Ah, la dolce vita.

During the evening, Gianni gave us a piece of advice. "Sarah," he told me, "just remember this piece of information and you'll do well: life is like a gym." Now, when I first heard this advice, I was pretty confused. I’ve heard plenty of metaphors and cliched sayings about life, but never in my experience has our existence been compared to a Snap Fitness or a Lifetime. A gym is sweaty. A gym is loud. A gym is full of huffing, iPod-clenching, spandex-clad people trying to trim a couple inches or drop a few pounds. How is that life?

Gianni explained.

Life, he said, is full of growth and learning. It's like a workout; each day you refine an area of your mind, sculpt a new philosophy, tone your belief system, and train your body to tackle life’s most difficult moments. According to Gianni, the more you lift the metaphorical dumbbell, the easier times will be in the future.

At the age of 21, I’m out of shape in life. I’m a gym-goer on the first day; uncertain about where to begin, fumbling with the weights and struggling to figure out how far forward my seat should be. I’m self-consciously looking in the mirrors and admiring those who have it together. I ask myself, how long will it take for me to get there?

But, as a wise, chino-wearing Italian man once told me, I simply have to remember that life is like a gym and every day a workout. Each day presents a new opportunity for growth; whenever we take advantage of that opportunity, we get in better shape for life. Gianni, with his ease, poise, and relaxed lifestyle is a body builder. Time to put on my metaphorical sweatband and hit the gym.