Posted by michaelp on Saturday, May 20, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

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— MikeyP (@michaelbpelleg1) May 20, 2017

On Friday, the 19th of May I saw my life flash before my eyes. A moped trip from Palermo to Cefalu turned to disaster when I attempted to cut a bus off around a tight curve and too much lean caused the wheels to slip out from underneath me as we skidded across lanes into a rail. Shook as a baby’s rattle I picked my scarred body from the ground and attempted to comprehend the prior events, however, I had no time to collect my thoughts as Sicilian men and women filed out of their bus and their cars to come assist the incompetent American. I tried my best to send them on their ways and after many minutes of reluctant refusal to cease their assistance everyone loaded back into their cars and continued with their ventures. I myself had my own venture to return to and after Alex doubled back to meet up we took a minute to recognize the new precautions that we somehow believed would stay in play for the remainder of the trip. At the exact moment where two sane people would have called the mission off and returned to Cefalu before speeding 80 km/hr into pure danger, we decided to keep on our way. Kilometer after kilometer we raced through the countryside, mountains, coastlines, and small towns as we made our way to the capital. We weaved our way through the lawless chaos and into the city where mopeds and motorcycles would line the front of traffic lights and rev their engines as they prepare for the absolute thrill of taking of full throttle down open highways the instant the light changes. We made our way through the city immersed with the locals due to the lack of tourists in the somewhat aesthetically unpleasing capital, but eventually we found at our friend Alessandro’s [Yes from the cooking class] apartment. We spent about an hour at his apartment enjoying company with his 2 brothers and his mother as we discussed all sorts of shared interests that stretch across cultures. Topics ranging from music to sailing to nature filled the room and after sharing some laughs and learning more about the true Italian lifestyle we left our new friends and went on a cruise through Palermo and the hellish traffic it has to offer. The drive back consisted on coastlines and beachside towns yet somehow I managed to end up alone and stopped at a train stop in Solunto. Hopeless and lost, I figured I would Alex and the GPS so I just started to drive praying I was heading in the right direction. By some miracle we found each other again after Alex doubled back and we redirected and headed down a massive highway deserted of all vehicles. After much racing and majestic views we made our way back to Cefalu devoid of any life threatening injuries. Throughout this whole experience I was able to discover a part of Italy tourists rarely see including a residential area outside of Palermo and it put things in perspective. It is incredible to live in a place of such pure beauty and it helps me realize why the Italian lifestyle is so much less materialistic and relaxed. Having the opportunity to bask in a setting sun and enjoy the Italian coastline the same exact way it looked 2000 years ago has given me a chance to appreciate how through all the conquerors and tyrants and wars some things still remain the same. It gives me goosebumps to stand at the top of a cliff on the coast and think about all the different types of people, from so many cultures, and so many time periods, and the fact that they at one point to stood in the same spot and admired the same terrain as I did yesterday.