Submitted by Cullen Kisner on the 2022 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science…
Today, we got to experience the most amazing excursion facilitated by the lovely staff at our hotel. After a short walk from our accommodations to Marina Grande, we met up with our kayak experts Umberto and Antonino. Both natives to the town of Sorrento, we were welcomed with open arms and jumped right into the kayaks after a short safety lesson.
While kayaking on the Sorrento Coast was never something I pictured myself doing, this absolutely was a bucket list moment for me. The view from the water is unlike anything I have seen before. From the colorful buildings lining Marina Grande to Roman ruins of Regina Giovanna, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. While I had been kayaking before in Delaware (shoutout Killen’s Pond!) there was something so unique about the peacefulness out on the water.
The jellyfish floating nearby and the dolphins peeking out in the distance made me almost feel like an intruder in this natural paradise. In America, especially on the East Coast, it is hard to find these moments of untouched beauty amidst the highways and neighborhoods. But to stop and take a moment, to listen to the calm lapping of the water on the side of your kayak in the Mediterranean, is pure bliss.
