On our way to Venice, we would be stopping for dinner in Verona.

I was very excited about stopping in Verona because I am a huge Shakespeare nerd. I spent four years in university reading Shakespeare by choice, and the idea of getting to visit Juliet’s balcony in fair Verona where we lay our scene… I just got goosebumps again.

I know. I’m very cool.

You could see the balcony from the courtyard, but a couple of friends and I went into the Juliet house museum so we could take our photo on the balcony. It was actually super gorgeous and would recommend if you make the trip out to see the balcony, it’s worth the €6 entry fee to actually stand on it.

After dinner, we headed towards our hostel in Venice. Which is when our tour manager explained to us that another very unlikely event had cropped up on this trip. The day we were meant to be in Venice, we learned the city would be closed until 1:00 p.m.

So instead of spending all of the following day in Venice, we’d spend the morning in Padua and then head to the Venice city centre.

While it seemed to be an unexpected and perhaps unwanted detour for most, I was actually interested in seeing Padua. I was raised by Catholic Italians and growing up, my family went to St. Anthony of Padua church. So in a weird way, visiting every little part of Italy was allowing me to revisit my roots.

It was really neat to be able to visit the original St. Anthony of Padua church – obviously much more extravagant than the one I went to as a child.

We had a quick coffee in Padua and before we knew it, we were on a boat to Venice!

Immediately arriving in Venice, we ticked The Thing off everyone’s list: gondola ride through the canals. It was very touristy and only lasted maybe 20 minutes, but also very cool to be able to say I’ve been on a gondola in Venice.

We had some time to wander around the city before joining up with our group again for a taste of Venice tour – basically like a pub crawl but with appetizers and wine.

Taste of Venice tour group!

Once we were sufficiently stuffed with bread and cheese and alcohol, we had a few hours to ourselves in the city. So a couple friends and I decided to hit a few specific spots.

There was a cute bookstore we all wanted to visit – if you go to the back of the store, they have a pile of books you are encouraged to walk and sit on.

It was our last chance to get Italian gelato, so we stopped at a place that our trip manager recommended as the best in Venice (she was not wrong – mint chocolate from Suso was delicious).

And then a few of us met at a bar near our final meeting spot for some aperol spritz and girl talk. The friend who had left in Barcelona and reconnected with us in Sorrento was also in town, so she joined us for a bit – it was nice to see her one last time before the end of the trip.

Then it was time to head back to the hostel. It became very clear to me at this point that our Contiki group had transformed into something very different from the group I joined on Day One.

Instead of lowkey adventures, people were now looking to stay out all night and let loose. When we had free time to explore the city, that often meant a lot of people getting drunk for the next activity. I didn’t really feel like partaking. With my go-to lowkey partner in crime having left in Rome, I had quickly lost my eagerness to go out.

So that night when we got back to the hostel, I had a much-needed cry. I’d been away from home and on the go for three weeks. My body was tired, my mind was tired, I suddenly felt very alone. I called home, and that conversation with my partner really grounded me back into reality.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the Contiki life. The people become your family on the road. The drama in the group seems so important. When you feel left out or upset, it strikes you hard. But hearing his voice really grounded me and reminded me of what was important.

I was travelling for now, I’d make memories, and in a week I’d come back home and everything would be waiting for me like I never left.

It really gave me the positivity boost I needed for the final week.