Hello friends, I just had possibly the most fabulous week of my life. It was crazy and stressful, but also so beautiful and rewarding. As mentioned in my last post, I had the opportunity to spend some time in Venice and participate in La Biennale, which is the world's top design exhibition. It was so cool to be surrounded by world famous designers and have my work displayed next to theirs. The theme of the show was "Reporting from the Front", in which groups from all over the world had to present an issue that currently exists where they live and present on how design could solve the issue. Our presentation and installation was over the Bakken Pipeline, and we had three of the most famous designers in the world come review our project and give us a lecture afterwards. So basically I was geeking out all weekend because DESIGN IS SO COOL, I got to see some of my Ames pals, Venice is gorgeous, and I felt super proud of my achievements with my major. It just served as a really good reminder of why I do what I do, even when I get frustrated or feel unsure about it. If something is well designed, it will last forever- not necessarily physically, but the impact it has on people. To me, that is such a beautiful way to leave my mark on the world. I get to serve others while doing the thing that I love most- creating. YAY for happiness. Enough of my design talk, and back to the really cool part- Venice. For being possibly the most inefficiently built city ever, it is so gorgeous and there is so much to do. No matter where you are studying or just traveling around Europe, I would definitely put this city on my list of must-sees. Without further delay, here is my list of the best things to do over a weekend in Venice. 1.) The Grand Canal Transportation from island to island can be done in a few places by foot over a bridge, but the coolest experience is taking the Vaporetto through the grand canal. You can purchase a pass for a day or for the whole weekend, but it is a must-do experience to live like a true Venetian for the weekend. Island hopping on the boats is honestly one of the coolest parts of the city. 2.) Take a Gondola ride PLEASE BE YOUR BASIC INNER TOURIST SELF AND PAY TO RIDE IN A GONDOLA. While is is expensive and touristy, it is literally the cutest thing you will ever do. (PS all of the men rowing them DO wear striped shirts I can confirm) 3.) St. Marks Square Yet another touristy area, but it is so beautiful. If you are lucky enough like I was to go at Aqua Alta (when the city is flooding), you can be your inner kid and run around in the puddles (like an entire foot of water) that are covering St. Marks Square. 4.) La Biennale This isn't me suggesting this for designers- this is literally such a wonderful and powerful exhibition for everyone. The events change so check to see what part of the Biennale could be going on during you visit. There are things like performing arts, architecture, art, writing, and all other areas of the arts. You won't be disappointed. 5.) Get lost My favorite tip for everywhere I travel. Whether you want to or not, you WILL get lost in Venice. Looking over cute bridges into the reflections of the brightly colored houses in the canal will make up for the fact that you have no idea where you are. 6.) Go up to the top of the Campanile When you're at the top, you will get the most amazing view of the city. Perfect for panoramas and cute pictures to send to your mom. This weekend I will be having another staycation in Rome! We have tickets to the soccer game, are finally going on a Colosseum tour, and will be checking out the aqueduct parks and the Vatican museum! I know, it basically is a crime to have lived in Rome for two months and still not have gone in the Colosseum, but I've finally made it. I'll also be doing some prep work for my design project in Paris, because I fly out next Wednesday to spend a week doing cool design things. Don't forget to do the things that make you the happiest. Have a good week, friends.
Ciao, Liz
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AuthorI'm Liz Bixenman, an interior design student living in Rome for the semester. When I'm not doing schoolwork, you can find me wearing a cat shirt, reading a book, and most likely eating more carbs than I'm proud of. Archives
December 2016
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