I'm not going to lie, I cry a LOT. Sometimes I cry at the most random things and I'm sure my boyfriend thinks I'm crazy.
The latest episode was last night during Masterchef (don't judge me, they're in Italy!) and i didn't just cry once, I cried twice. I'd like to just say it was weird and be done with it, but in all fairness, that's just like me (and I wasn't crying because the contestants annoy me).
The first was when the contestants were roaming the streets of Rome. I've been there, I've seen the things they saw, and I remember it so clearly, as though it was yesterday.
I remember the first time I saw The Colosseum and even though I'd been to so many other places, it was the first time I really realised I was in Europe.
I remember standing on the Spanish Steps at sunset in awe of the remarkable sights and the incredible sky.
I remember throwing my euro into the Trevi Fountain and hugging the columns at the Pantheon.
I remember that the night we arrived, it was the first time on the entire trip that the weather had been warm enough to not wear a coat and I remember the traditional checked red and white table cloths at the little restaurant we had dinner at.
I think you're finally a grown up when you remember a moment in your life so vividly and with such overwhelming emotion; seeing funny little details in your mind, like a snapshot in time, and wanting so badly to go back and experience more.
The second crying episode occurred when the great, world renowned chef, Massimo Spigaroli left the contestants with one final message. That he, too, had been in a completely different career – as a lawyer – when one day he decided to pack it all in and find something he loved and wanted to do for the rest of his life. He quit his job to become a chef and, although his father didn't speak to him for two years, when his dad sadly passed away last year, Massimo was named the greatest chef in the world.
Reality television is so widely critised (by me, also) but there are occasions that cannot be planned for or scripted. The existence of this show enabled its contestants to, not only, meet, be mentored, and cook for this culinary legend, but it also allowed them to hear, firsthand, his poignant and truly inspirational story.
If he can do it, anyone can. If you realise that you aren't happy where you are in life, you can throw it all away and start again and, not only that, you can also achieve greatness. Sometimes your choices might be unpopular or misunderstood by those around you, but if you want it badly enough, nothing will stop you.
Yes, it's silly to get emotional about crazy things like this, but it happened and I felt inspired enough to put the embarrassment aside and tell you about it. The reality of it is that I need to pack it all in and find a way to earn a living travelling the world so that I can collect some more snapshots in time.
This is Venice 2006, but you get the idea…
Image – Masterchef
