La Notte Bianca!

In April I went to "La Notte Bianca" in Florence, Italy.  La Notte Bianca translates to The White Night and literally everyone in the city spends the night outside wandering the streets.  There was a huge sea of people everywhere I looked.  The atmosphere was so energetic and upbeat that I couldn't help but get swept in.  Strangers were giving my friends and I high-fives and everyone had a smile on their face.

The crowds downtown

As we made our way through the throngs of people we occasionally stopped and danced with the locals.  Music boomed in the night air and street vendors tried to sell us food at every corner.  After some dancing, food, and drinks we made our way to the Uffizi Gallery.  On The White Night, culture is also celebrated, and all museums are free and open to the public until the early hours of the morning.  So we went into the Uffizi and saw masterpieces such as Botticelli's "Birth of Venus".  We spent about half an hour exploring the museum, but a lot was still going on outside so we once again entered the mob of people on the streets.  We made our way towards the Arno river and saw some amazing performances.

Dancing with fire!

The highlight of the night were performers who danced with fire instead of the more traditional ribbon.  Everyone was enjoying the starry night to the fullest and just living in the moment. The whole city coming out and enjoying each others' company was one unbelievable night I will never forget! That night, I was reminded of just how much happiness can come from being surrounded by smiling faces and good company.

Carnaval de Barranquilla

For a particular city in Colombia, the month of March brings with it one of the most famous celebrations in the country.  The "Carnaval de Barranquilla" is known for its extravagant costumes, unbelievable dance routines, giant floats, and most of all its music.  The carnival celebrates the diversity of the people that live in Barranquilla and it embraces the different cultures that came upon the city's shores years ago.  The carnival starts off with the "batalla de flores" or "the battle of flowers" which is a giant parade that takes over the entire city. People dress up in traditional dresses from each respective caribbean culture.

Traditional "cumbiamberos" dancing one of the most famous dances in the coast, cumbia.

  During the battle, hundreds of floats filled with people parade the streets. You can find a float for everything from beer, to pirates, to clowns, and even a mock-celebrity float.  The carnival focuses a lot on satire and with simply having fun.  Anyone who wants can join the parade and dress up as whatever they want. Besides celebrating the different cultures that reside within this coastal city, the carnival also celebrates people's individuality.  The parade had a section for everything imaginable and if someone felt like they had something to express, they went right up and danced the streets proudly.  

These ladies are promoting one of the regional beers Aguila on their own float.

     The parade lasts all day and during the entire length of it, you get to hear traditional Colombian music such as salsa, merengue, and most importantly, cumbia.  Each of these genres comes with multiple sets of professional dancers that dance up and down the streets in giant, coordinated groups that leave you wishing that you had their unequaled ability to dance.  What leaves you even more in shock, is when, all of a sudden, the street fills up with hundreds of five to thirteen year old children all dancing at the same exact time with amazing rhythm and incredible latin flavor. Other big traditions during the battle include drinking Aguardiente (Colombia's traditional liquor) until at least every person there has had a little sip as well as throwing flour around until everyone's face is white. 

  My family was all in attendance last march...and they were more than ready to celebrate.

During this day, people let go of their problems and just start off the week of festivities by completely embracing the joyous atmosphere of the parade.  Everyone embraces each others' differences and the entire city celebrates as one.  It truly was amazing to be a part of this celebration and to see how an entire city can be united simply with music, dancing, flour, and aguardiente.

The carnival not only gave me quality time with my family, but it also reminded me of the joy of letting loose and celebrating life.