A Taste of Freedom can make you unemployable. Naval Ravikant
We achieve what we believe.
Our recent trip to Trento, Italy, confirmed this tenet.
Escaping societal norms offers a valuable perspective.
Not checking e-mail or Slack didn’t trigger the world to implode. Life goes on.
It’s incredible how all the things you deem essential aren’t.
Getting away from it all shatters many myths. Topics range from retirement to our tendency for unhinged consumption.
Revelations turn up in unlikely places.
Dina’s cousins arranged for us to hike Mount Bondone.
It’s a 7,000-foot mountain with views of a glacier. We didn’t climb to the top, but you get the picture.
Dina’s cousin’s Mom joined us. Did I mention that she’s 84 years old? The trail contained many slippery rocks and mountain streams, and many Americans half her age would find this trek arduous.
How does this compare with the expectations of American Retirees?
At 60, the expectation shifts to buying a ranch house to avoid climbing several flights of stairs! Planning hip and knee replacement surgeries has become a national pastime. The contrast was wild.
70% of American GDP comes from our insatiable desire to buy stuff. In Italy, the preference is for quality over quantity. Italians tend to change clothes less frequently than Americans. Buying sustainable garments at higher prices and wearing them a lot is the style. Purchasing cheaper goods and discarding them almost as fast is a foreign concept.
Less is more is a constant theme. Nature is the shopping ground.
It’s rare to see Italians go out with the specific goal of getting hammered. Wine is a God but serves a distinct purpose than dulling the senses to escape reality. Social connection is what it’s all about.
The expectation is to use alcohol as an excuse to get together with friends and family to share stories and good food. Americans love cheap Dopamine. The Italians tend to play the long game regarding social connections.
Did I mention food? Everyone on our trip lost weight despite a heavy diet of Pasta and Pizza. Subtracting sugar and additives from food provides untold health benefits. Throw in more movement, and past expectations disintegrate into a bottle of Limoncello.
Another typical American assumption is selling your home and spending your days in a retirement community. Many are willing to sacrifice some freedom and individuality to ensure a seat at the table for continued social connection.
The Piazza is Trento’s central meeting ground. As an ancient Roman and then medieval city, it was designated the natural hub for human connection.
Today, this still holds. Weekly markets and other community events constantly pop up depending on the season. The numerous centrally located cafes and restaurants force you to interact with others.
The best thing is that it’s not a forced setup. People naturally gravitate toward one another as a lifestyle choice, not a societal mandate.
Things aren’t a panacea in Italy. Inefficiencies dominate the landscape. For example, after the six-hour Bondone hike, food and drink were supposed to be waiting at the final destination. Food was available, except one had to wait in a massive line to be eligible for a ticket. It seemed no one thought a bottleneck at the bottom of the mountain would be a bad idea for exhausted hikers.
Compounding the lunacy, several Solid Gold-type dancers performed while one person checked the tickets! During all this, a man dressed in an Alpine outfit made a speech. I shudder to think what would have happened to him if this happened in New York with a more impatient clientele.
Despite the insanity, the Italians took it in stride. I don’t think this was the first time they had to wait in needless line, and it won’t be the last.
Maybe there was a lesson to be learned by their laissez-faire reaction.
It’s an arduous task to fight societal expectations. Getting away and seeing how others live with less but with more joy makes for introspection.
In America, we have everything we want at our fingertips. Most would agree that despite our great wealth, something is missing.
Freedom is a hazardous concept.
Once you find it, it’s impossible to turn back.
Changing your expectations is a terrific place to start a new journey.
Shout out to my friend Lou for shooting these spectacular photos. (The guy scoring a TD on the mountain.) Alas, my iPhone 7 wasn’t up to the job.
