Hello readers, I've been off-the-grid for a few weeks as you can see. Relaxing, sunning, and finishing Anna Karenina -- all as previously planned. Well, almost. A few issues came up which impeded my being able to meet up with my friends, which was super disappointing, but I made the best of my summertime in Italy. I finally chose a date for my departure, September 7, and as my departure date drew nearer I felt excited to see my family and simultaneously a bit nostalgic for my past 2 years in Italia.
the beach in Sperlonga
The day before my flight was to depart, I had everything ready. Bags packed and weighed (just above the allowed limit, because the Italians aren't nit-picky about exact numbers) and passport ready to be stamped yet again. It was a beautiful summer day in the Mediterranean and I decided to hit the beach one last time and try out windsurfing - why the heck not, it was my last day in Italy, after all. Perhaps not my best idea.
example of a child who is better than me at windsurfing
(from actionsportsmaui.com)
I blame the fact that I'm really not a sea/ocean person. I should be, I'm a water sign. Heck, I was born in California, and Texas has 600 miles of coastlines, but regardless I have always been annoyed by the sting of saltwater in my eyes and the dirty feeling of sand that sticks all over your skin. Give me a lounge chair, an umbrella, and a tropical drink and we're in business. But this summer I've been rather adventurous in my seafaring. Boating, kayaking, stand-up paddling, even trying scuba diving for the first time without problems (only 3-4 meters of depth).
sunset view of the town of Sperlonga
All was fine until the wind started really picking up and apparently I was on the wrong side of the board. Lesson learned: never let anything come between you and an approaching wave. I can say I won't forget that one now. I was attempting to tow the board back to the beach when a wave much taller than me came barreling through. When I saw it, I could already foresee the outcome but there was no time to move out of the way. Perhaps a seasoned beach bum would know how to quickly dive out of the way, or protect their body in a careful way, but I just stood there thinking "…oh shit."
slight exaggeration of the type of wave that crashed upon me
(from theterramarproject.com)
The force of the wave knocked me over and I was flung under the board, where I was then smacked (rather hard) in the face. I got up and gasped, still surprised by how fast everything had changed, and put a hand to my face. Blood. Oh geez. My first worry was that I couldn't see, so I was partially afraid to open my eye to determine my fate, but thankfully no eye damage.
my face, day after the accident (hardly visible: huge forehead bump)
I got an icepack for the huge bump on my forehead that was appearing, and after a visit to the nearest emergency room, I had 2 stitches in the side of my nose. Luckily the guy who put them in was a surgeon and specialized in aesthetics, so hopefully the scar won't be ghastly. I was highly advised by 4 doctors to not take a flight the next morning due to minor cranial trauma and something about changing atmospheres and my head maybe exploding, who knows. In essence, I pushed my flight back 10 days in order to rest comfortably, get the stitches out, and benefit from the public health care in Italy (I have no insurance stateside). In the end I was seen by 4 doctors and one plastic surgeon, I received 2 stitches, and my wound was dressed several times. Total cost? Zero dollars. Or euro, for that matter.
my face, day 3, Puffy Eyes McGee
All is good, the swelling has gone down immensely with the help of a prescribed cream, my eyes are less puffy and I look less like a freakish Avatar person. I was warned my eye and forehead would turn black, but that hasn't happened yet, so let's all cross our fingers! And remember kids, let this be a lesson to you: be careful out there - the ocean can be a dangerous place.
