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Party Like It's 1999

In my 19 years of life, I have never once been to a full-blown party until last night when I decided to go with a few friends to the student welcome party hosted by the University of Siena. Italian parties are mind-blowing, I'll be the first to say. Immediately after walking into the fortress, which was just a big gravel area surrounded by four walls, I knew that the party was something unlike anything I had ever heard of before.


My initial thought when I hear "college party" often goes to some sort of fraternity house that's filled to the brim with people playing cornhole and beer pong while dancing around in rooms lighted only by black lights and neon rainbows. This party, however, featured no cornhole boards and not a single beer pong table. Instead, there were ping pong tables set up with restaurant-style seating all around the entrance where friends gathered to eat and drink in sophistication. Over by the actual party there was a drink stand selling water, soft drinks and even alcoholic drinks. An ocean of revelers could be seen for what felt like miles, but only if you could manage to see through the thick haze of smoke from cigarettes. Everyone smoked it seemed; even in Siena and Italy in general it seemed that everyone smoked during dinners and gatherings, no matter if it was inside or in parks or around kids.


What surprised me the most, however, was the presence of children at this seemingly grown-up party. Everywhere you looked kids that could have been no more that 15 could be seen huddled in small groups; not only could they been seen huddled together, but they could be seen sharing cigarettes and drinks that I could only hope to be water or flat sprite. I remember how taken back we all were to see how no one seemed to mind the kids having their own fun and it made me think about just how different partying culture is here in Italy compared to back home in the States. I have no doubt that back home there would have been ID checks for buying the alcohol, if not for getting into the party as well, at least. In my mind, kids would have been chased out of the venue as people laughed and commended their bravery.


Despite all the shocks, though, the party was fun. Everyone danced with friends and, other than a few weirdos, everyone respected each other. The DJ played a mixture of Italian and American music, so it wasn't a complete struggle trying to learn words and it was fun to throw our hands up in the air and attempt to chant with everyone. The fun eventually ended, however, as the night got darker and darker and the fort continued to get more and more crowded.


I've heard people talk about becoming lost at parties and how terrifying of an experience it can be. I had the nightmare of experiencing that last night after the crowd got too large and a single push from some person I didn't even see found me being pushed around in the ocean of people with no life raft to save me. If you've ever been lost and panicked, then you might understand when I say that the world, no matter how tangible it is, turns blurry very quickly. Trying to push my way through the tangle of sweaty, dancing bodies was almost as difficult as trying to navigate a narrow, winding maze in pitch-black darkness I'd imagine.


It was when I found myself outside of the maze that it really hit me that my friends were nowhere to be found, though. So, I did what any logically panicked friend would do: I waited at the entrance. I waited for 15 minuted before walking back around the party, and then sat back down and watched as 15 minuted turned into 30 minuted of waiting. It was around the 45 minute to one hour mark that I decided to trudge home and check there. Thankfully, though, as I rounded the corner to face the bus stations in Siena I noticed two very familiar figures sitting on a marble bench looking around.


I found the experience to be quite similar to my group's Vatican City split a few weeks back, only more confusing and with no cell service to call each other. So maybe next time my friends suggest going to the fort for a college bash I'll just stay in and watch my all-time favorite movie, The Cat in the Hat, on Netflix.

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