The Wave and The Rock

One of the places that became highly anticipated for my classmates and me was the island of Capri. This was an interesting trip to think about since a lot of swimming was implied based on our given itinerary and I am not a strong swimmer. Cut to me constantly asking my friends at Texas State to help me learn how to swim before I left... Only to never follow through with our plans. Oops.

Anyway, for my Capri post, I will be discussing the Blue Grotto, the island's compelling geography, and facing my fears brought up by my inability to swim.

So, for those who don't know what the Blue Grotto is, it's a grotto that you can only get into via boat that glows bright blue on the inside. The Blue Grotto is a tourist hotspot because of the glowing blue water inside a cave. Just searching Italy on TikTok or Instagram will more than likely result in an influx of pictures and videos of the Blue Grotto. It's more beautiful than the pictures and videos on social media make it out to be. It felt like I had stepped into a fantasy story just by being in there and the guides paddling the boats singing to themselves only added to the experience. Which is great considering my career choices. It's such an honor to be at this place, especially because of how hard it can be to get inside (either by long lines or by the elements).

Capri has such a natural beauty to it paired with the clearest ocean waters I will ever see. The island cliffsides and natural arches add to the beauty. Being on a boat for the majority of the day and getting to drive around the island allowed us to look at almost every single grotto, cliffside, and arch. Getting to see lighthouses, restaurants, and Marinas by the ocean are sights I'll treasure. I didn't get to explore Capri on land nearly as much as I liked, I'll have to return someday to go on the ziplines/gondolas overlooking the island. Regardless, it was such a joy to be able to experience Capri this way.

As far as my inability to swim goes, it's a strange fact about myself that I've begun to insert in my work (a notable one being a flash fiction piece entitled ReNew: A Story in Three Parts). I frankly don't understand where this sudden reference came from but it's welcomed because it can be interpreted in different ways. However, my classmates threatened to throw me into any deep body of water they could find when I told them I couldn't really swim; so I figured it was time to teach myself... But not that way. Any time we've gone to the beach, I've managed to get a little deeper for a little longer. Why bring that up in this post? Well, I found myself climbing on rocks and jumping into deeper water with some great success. Even went so far as to jump off the boat without a lifejacket. Something poetic and symbolic about this progression if my life was a book.