by James Aquino
“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.
If you can dream it, you can become it.”
-William Arthur Ward
I have always believed that traveling is a lesson offered by life as a crash course. There is something you can learn from every journey, whether good or bad, and it changes you as a person in more ways than one.
Ever since I started traveling about five years ago, I wanted to tread my own path and visit places that are not commonly part of travel itineraries or those that are always in postcards. Mesmerizing hues of blues and earth tones, a vision of the sea, and the purity of beaches peppered with towering coconut trees swaying to the sea breeze in a graceful dance — these are some of my elements, and these are vistas I want to see whenever I can.
The funny thing about looking for a destination to visit is that sometimes, circumstances will veer you toward another destination. I was eyeing an adventure in Algiers or “time traveling” to Havana, but due to the situation of the embassies where I am currently stationed, my colleague scheduled an appointment for me at the Italian embassy.
Now, let me tell you this. I love Europe and everything about it. However, it is not part of my priority list. I can enumerate at least twenty other locations before one European destination shows up in my list of places to see. However, this destination found its way to me and presented itself, front and center, for my eyes to see.
Positano is one of the most picturesque villages along the Amalfi Coast. It became famous after John Steinbeck published his essay in Harper’s Bazaar, stating, “It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.”
While I already have an idea of what to see in this great place because it is one of the most popular subjects when it comes to travel postcards, I was feeling a little bit skeptical because we live in an era where we have access to image-enhancing software. I might’ve been fooled into believing in its surreal beauty, as the real place might not even be half as vibrant as the ones published in photos. I lowered my expectations, yet at the back of my head, I wasn’t prepared to be disappointed.
My journey started in Rome. Early in the morning, I rode an express train to Naples, the recommended takeoff point to get the most out of a day tour of the Amalfi Coast. From Naples, I took a private van, and while the distance from Naples to Positano is only about 60 km, it took more or less two hours of land travel because of traffic and the stomach-twisting roads that made me question how drivers can traverse these extreme zigzags.
The views along the way were breathtaking but also heart-stopping, keeping me at the edge of my seat. The roads were well-paved, but as they follow the ridges of the cliffs, they can be steep and unforgiving. I have yet to see a crazier public road than this.
As I came closer to Positano, the images inside my mind started to clear up like a developing Polaroid photo. “This is the real thing, and it is indeed a magnificent sight to behold” — I told myself while my mouth gaped open the entire time until our van parked in a designated area.
“I’m already here. I’m already here!”
Positano welcomed me with warm rays of the sun and with narrow pathways adorned by white walls with shades of blue and terracotta. The breeze played with the summer clothes and hats on display, as the whiff blended with the scent of mozzarella cheese melting inside the oven for the next order of authentic pizza.
As I descended toward the beach, the colors became more and more vibrant, with colorful umbrellas, children playing along the black-gray sand, and the small yachts and boats swaying with the soft waves.
“So this is how it feels to be IN a postcard.”
While this was my first beach experience where I got really toasted without actually swimming, it remains one of the most memorable moments in my life as a traveler. Seeing others frolicking in the beach with their families, a young lady setting letter tiles to complete her name that is coincidentally the same with my older daughter’s, a young child topping her tiny sand castle with a white pebble, an old couple sharing a lemon granita as they sit near the pier where tourists are lining up for the next trip to Capri, and that chef who is feeling so proud while about to share a serving of Mozarella di Bufala Campana (which is an amazingly delicious mozzarella by the way) with guests made my heart full as I was embraced by the warm breeze from. It was a tender feeling that made me think, “This was worth it.”
I walked toward the other side of the village to see a panoramic view. I thought I cannot fault anything this place at all. Even the bright sparkle of the light that hits the azure waters sealed the magic that this place has.
Let me go back to the title of this story, The Postcard I Found in Positano. Positano is indeed a piece of memory that I can take home with me. A legitimate postcard destination without filters, without digital enhancements, Positano is as vibrant as life should be, even when there are some storms along the way.
On this journey, I realized that when you open yourself up to anything, circumstances will find their way to you. You attract what you want to become, and in this case, you attract where you want to go.
Life will always offer you something you think you don’t need, but in the end, you’ll be grateful that you have it. You will get that plot twist and, before you know it, you’re already in that amazing moment.
*This is a non-sponsored post, but I would like to thank Chuki from Walks of Italy for helping me not to get lost and making me feel at home during my first trip to Italy.
