Venice.

Flannery O’Connor once said, “Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going to was never there, and where you are is no good unless you can get away from it. Where is there a place for you to be? No place. Nothing outside you can give you any place. In yourself right now is all the place you've got.”

But what happens when you find that place inside of you, but you’re still not contented? Do you search for a place where you don’t have to hide? For a place where all that controls you is free will? Or do you just blend in? Put on a mask of anonymity and sweet words?

                                      

Smiles for the strangers, and laughter for the friends? Some candy for an acquaintance, perhaps.

Maybe all that we do, is an attempt towards making peace with our inner selves. Finding that little bit of ecstacy inside of us that faith leads us to believe is present. But when do we accomplish it and let it bloom right on our faces?

Maybe we all need a Venice. An escape. A place where dreams come alive. Where we begin to love ourselves. Where we snort that little bit of ecstacy and laugh in the faces of those who wouldn’t let us have the sun. Somewhere where smiles aren’t sardonic, and love lights up our veins. Where the pens of fate are held by our very hands, and we knit our own destiny. Somewhere where we can look up at the sky and smile, solely because we know that it’s not going to be stolen away. Not this time. We can believe in happy endings and well-versed fairytales, because we know we’ve come a long way to achieve this. We can very well believe we deserve it. A laughter to realise it, a shot to get rid of the scepticism, and perhaps a dance to relish it. Until we’re finally left alone, with a hundred stars that emblazon the sky with cheery happiness, and the waves dance under the hangover of our joy.

          

We can finally steer the raft of our fantasies past thousands of years of history and ancient experiences, which illuminate the very existence of all mankind. It’s a place where we don’t have to dive deep into the water to find serenity, but where we can display our emotions at its brightest. It’s paradise on Earth. A parallel dimension. It’s our divination at its best.

This is my Venice. A wonder made up in my dreams. A place that maintains the illusion of it being perfect. And the best part? No one can steal it away from me. This is where my Venice lies.

Where does yours?