Il Bagaglio Smarrito e la Fortuna Trovata: Una Lezione di Viaggio in Italia
Lost Luggage, Found Fortune: A Lesson in Traveling Through Italy
Phil Rosen: Perché Perdere il bagaglio è stato il miglior regalo
Phil Rosen: Why Losing My Luggage Was the Best Gift of My Journey
Di recente ho letto il nuovo libro di Phil Rosen intitolato: ““Everywhere but Home(disponibile su Amazon). È un racconto personale delle sue esperienze durante due anni vissuti a Hong Kong, insegnando e viaggiando per il Sud-est asiatico. Ma è molto più di questo: è una splendida collezione di storie su come gli occhi e la mente di Phil si siano aperti alle mille sfumature di ciò che chiamiamo “viaggiare” (ricordate quando tutti potevamo farlo?) e su come visitare altre culture possa cambiare una persona in milioni di modi diversi.
Recently, I read Phil Rosen’s new book called “Everywhere but Home (Available on Amazon). It is a personal account of his two years living abroad in Hong Kong, teaching, and traveling through Southeast Asia. But more than that, it’s a lovely collection of stories about how Phil’s eyes and mind were opened to the nuances of what we call “Travel” (remember when we could all do that?) and how visiting other cultures can transform a person in countless ways.
Guest Post di Phil Rosen: Il viaggio che non dimenticherò mai
Guest Post by Phil Rosen: The Trip I’ll Never Forget
Chiamatemi Fortunato (a Volte)
Call Me Lucky (Sometimes)
The year was 2018 and I was barely 21 years old. Nevertheless, with travel in my blood and youthful naivete in my eyes, I found myself aboard a 4am train from Rome to Naples. It was one of those budget trains—my ticket stub couldn’t have cost more than €8.00.
At the time, I was brimming with the confidence embedded in one who is well-traveled; yet, unbeknownst to me, I was forgetting the very important detail that all previous travels of mine had been with my family.
Italy marked the first international trip that, instead of my mother, I brought along a carry-on duffel. It’s funny the things you learn when you go somewhere without mom for the first time.
I boarded the train groggy from the previous night of tossing and turning in a hostel bunk bed. My eyelids felt as heavy as my feet that I dragged ever more slowly. The few passengers around me spoke fast and hushed, and tossed their luggage atop the overhead compartments that hung above the seats. I did the same, throwing my duffle bag above an unnecessarily hard and uncomfortable seat that did not recline.
Knowing I had a few hours before my arrival, I put my headphones in and fell asleep. When I woke up, I glanced upwards at my duffel bag. Or at least to the spot that my duffel bag should have been. Standing up in a panic, I looked up and down the aisle and began asking strangers if they had seen my bag, which of course they had not.
A few laps up and down my train carriage left me empty-handed and feeling like a deflated balloon. I still had three more weeks of solo-travel through Italy, and now I was without all my things—more importantly, I was without my passport.
The hostel I checked into had their front desk on the 4th floor of the building. The desk clerk asked me if I left my luggage downstairs in the lobby, and I replied that all my belongings actually fit into my pockets. The lady looked down at my reservation again — her nose wrinkled quizzically as if to ask “a five-night booking and your things fit into your pockets?” But she simply shrugged and that was that.
After a grueling three-hour wait in the US Embassy in Naples, I had a temporary passport. In addition to the clothes on my back, I still carried enthusiasm and gusto to see as much of Italy as I could, whether or not I had luggage. And so I did.
Questa è l’esperienza che più mi è rimasta impressa di quel viaggio: non è sempre importante ciò che porti con te quando viaggi, ma ciò che riporti a casa.
This is the experience that stays with me most about that trip: it isn’t always about the things you carry with you on your travels, it’s about the experiences you take home with you.
Sì, ho perso tutti i miei effetti personali, il passaporto, una carta di credito—ma sono tornato comunque molto più ricco di quando ero arrivato. Sono persino tornato con questa storia che oggi condivido qui. Questo, di per sé, rivela la magia del viaggio.
Yes, I lost all my personal belongings, my passport, a credit card—but I still came away so much richer than when I arrived. I even came away with this story that I now share here today. That in itself reveals is the magic of travel.
Ripensandoci, direi che sono stato incredibilmente fortunato a farmi rubare il borsone quel giorno. Ha messo in evidenza che, anche quando le cose sembrano andare male, ci sono esperienze da vivere e storie da raccontare.
Looking back, I would say I was pretty damn lucky to get my bag stolen that day. It highlighted that, even when things seem to be going wrong, there are experiences to be had and stories to be lived.
Immagino di confermare la mia affermazione iniziale: mi sono sempre considerato una delle persone fortunate.
Immagino di confermare la mia affermazione iniziale: mi sono sempre considerato una delle persone fortunate.
I guess I stand by my original statement then: I’ve always called myself one of the lucky ones.
Thanks for featuring me as a guest writer! I love the Italian translation too — this is amazing!
Beautiful story. It’s hard to find the silver lining when things seem to go wrong, but this testimonial proves that it is actually possible and that things can go even better than you expected. I also couldn’t agree more with you when you say that you leave for a trip and you come back richer than before. Definitely, it doesn’t take much to feel lucky. I’m one of those people, and I feel truly blessed.