I Never Knew I Needed You

Venice, Italy

I’ve been to over 23 countries and all fifty states. I have never felt the way I felt when I saw Venice.

How I feel about Venice is how I want someone to think about me. I love that city like it’s the last city on earth. Whenever you feel you’ve seen it in all its beauty, you turn the corner, and it opens up into something else magical.

Venice is the kind of city you wake up early for. It’s the type of city you stay up all night just to listen to her. It’s the kind of city where I am always a mile away from where I need to be, and it takes me twice as long to get there.

There is a secret around every corner. With all of its aging tones and textures, it is a scenic artist's dream. I chased the sun around that city all day and into the night. I heard the shutters close along the cobblestone streets as I made my way back in the dark.

I lay in my room with the balcony doors open, listening to the silence—the silence of no cars, only canals. It reminded me of being on the lava flow in Hawaii. There is a stillness in these places you cannot find anywhere. It just sits in the air and begs you to listen to its nothingness.

I was so possessed by its magic that, at some point, I woke up in the middle of the night and took photographs from my balcony. When I woke up the next morning, I was feeling really sick. It’s not Venice’s fault; I had been going too hard.

Even though I felt horrible, I couldn’t stop seeing the sunrise. I wanted to see Venice in every single way possible.

After I checked out of the hotel, I went to the pharmacy, which was kind enough to sell me 45 euros worth of medicine—all with instructions I could not read.

Remember the Italian man from Pittsburgh I met on the train in Milan? He was kind enough to interpret the recommended dosages via WhatsApp pictures. Within an hour, I was ready to have that city again.

I could have stayed there a lifetime, but it wouldn’t have been long enough. I will be back there, and if I have my way, I will live there one day.

I took over a thousand photos. It wasn’t enough. Here are nine.