"Picture it...Sicily..." 2024...

In Palermo, Sicily I got to do this really cool mafia tour which broke down the relationships between the reality of a community in dealing with the mafia. You need to go on the tours yourself, but the information I learned really surprised me. It surprised me that it really didn't get aggressive as Hollywood lead me to believe until the 90's. Yes, I was getting a tour from folks that strongly disliked the mafia. So the information wasn't coming to me through rose colored lenses.

It got me thinking, Hollywood really does mess with our expectation of reality. I grew up watching MGM musicals and Disney movies. I'm almost 30 years old and I still have an expectation that everyone has a soundtrack playing in their minds as they're getting ready for the day or driving on the highway. Why isn't everyone crying and feeling their emotions like I do? Like Judy Garland did in the movies I loved so much?

But, these movies showing the world in such extremes definitely painted my expectations as I travel through the world. Going to Sicily, the expectation did match the reality of certain areas weren't really nice to be in, but other areas were absolutely gorgeous. But in places like Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, Salzburg... all were very different than Hollywood showed them to be - both for good and for bad. I guess going into every city with that in mind, for me, makes traveling all the more exciting if you keep an open mind. Be prepared that the glitz and glamour you've been shown in your favorite movies might not be there. Alternatively, if the media has made a big deal of a place not being safe, that also might not be the reality. Part of my learning has been to sit back, relax and enjoy every place on my bucket list. It's been an interesting journey.