Swim to Live, Ina’s impressions October 2019

Now, after a few days have passed since the end of our visit to Italy, after the euphoria, the emotions and the overflowing of feelings have faded, now that things sit and filter, a few elements define this experience as unique and special: beyond what is a given of nature, I refer to the wonderful Mediterranean landscape, the architectural specificity of the place, the historical load, the gentle and friendly climate even in October, that what made this experience unique and memorable were the people.

I refer here in particular to the locals, our hosts, the participants in the Swim to Live project recently held in Italy, who without any apparent effort, in a very natural and ingénue manner, took care of us in an exemplary way, leading us and presenting us dreamlike places, showing us the beauty and the local specificity, offering us home-made culinary specialties and wines of their own production and making us available all their time, in the morning, at lunch, in the evening, at night …
It was really a model of hospitality, good intentions, friendship. Dear Gianpaolo, Toni, Cristoforo, Michele, Pascuale and on the last day Salvatore (order is random), without you our Italian experience would have been anonymous and unspecific, despite Fabio’s efforts.
I am very grateful to you. I personally would like to rise to your level of involvement and hospitality when you come to my hometown.

And there were the colleagues from Slovenia, who in my opinion fit perfectly in the Romanian proverb “Who is good, is good to everything”.  They are in a great sporting form, they know how to swim perfectly, to be good in any sporting discipline, to be agile and quick but also mindful, attentive to those around, to enjoy any moment, to party until morning, to maintain the atmosphere in any language (besides English, I have heard quality conversations in German, French, Italian …) and be kind and pleasant at any time. I wonder how they succeed.

And what for me mattered a lot and helped the experience to become perfect, were my fellow citizens who made me feel confortable, safe, accepted and well placed in the group. Would you, like me, wish to re-edit these moments? How good that the project continues until the end of the year, what a pity we do not know (yet) how to make it become a permanence in our lives. I would consider it a personal enrichment to see you twice a week for a long time to come.

The visit to Slovenia is coming and one thing is clear to me: even if we were to meet in an austere space, without much light and food, without the possibility of visiting new and unique places, playing sports or enjoying ourselves, recreate, the meeting would still be a success, thanks to you, the people who gave life to this wonderful project, people to whom I feel close to and whom I would love to meet over and over again.

Ina Naghi