Beginning of the end.

 The last couple days were spent on the water.. just how I pictured the end of my trip to be. 

It was all a dream. If someone told me 6 months ago that I'd be in Italy on the coast boating with Italians.... i'd laugh at them. I'm extremely grateful with how my life turned out this year. Life changing.. all of this. 

Matteo, Martina's boyfriend, owns a boat that he took us out on. This wasn't a typical lake mead experience.. We were on the LINGURIAN SEA. (near the Mediterranean). Most beautiful water, extremely salty, but we didn't seem to complain much. 

 I hang out with models.. ha

Cathe

 Lorenzo and I

 Matteo, a local Portovenerian, also the most animated hilarious Italian I know. Even when I couldn't understand what he was saying, I knew he was saying something funny, just with how the tone of his voice would get crazy. 

 Riomaggiore .. first city of Cinque Terre, we drove the boat up to the coast and picked up Martina from work, and the rest of the day was spent on the boat.

 Cathe, Martina, and Matteo

 Matteo let Catherina drive us back to their neck of the woods, a little scared, but she did a perfect job. 

 My favorite couple. 

 Before we went home, we went and watched a practice rowing match, in preparation for the BIG race in August. Along the Linguria, there are many villages, all connected, and each of them have a rowing team that compete. Its like their football, they live for this sport, and its a huge honor to the village that wins the big race. 

 Its not a surprise how many people own their own boats, try everyone. The locals come out to watch. 

 Portovenere flag. The village Matteo is from. 

 Marola, and neighboring village to Portovenere.

 I just... uh.. well.. my finger slipped and accidentally took this photo.

 such a unique sport, made for the coastal folk. I enjoyed it very much!

 They love eachother. 

Lorenzo stealing photos.

I hope this video works. Later that night, we watched a futbol match, and Italia took the win, and this was the celebration of the win. Those who know me, know I love people and the love for their sports.

It was as near to a perfect day as they come. 

A part of me hates looking at these photos because I knew there would come the day that It would only be a memory instead of a reality that I was living at the present time. I'm so thankful it happened though, I wouldn't have had it any other way.