Bologna

Luke and I paid the few euros to get inside and began climbing the wooden flights of stairs that led to the top of Asinelli Tower, the tallest leaning tower in Italy. We circled and circled. It seemed endless, so I didn't bother trying to count the steps.

A third of the way up, Luke looked at me, his face pale, and said he couldn't keep going. "I can feel it moving," he said. But I couldn't, and he said it was okay if I went on by myself. I still don't know where my confidence comes from sometimes, but I knew I wanted to make it to the top, so I did.

When I stepped off the ladder onto the narrow platform at the top, the wind whipped my dress up. My hair flew around my face and my skirt wouldn't stay down, but there was nothing I could do about it. I smiled as I looked across the city and found the places Luke and I had visited the day before.

He waited for me at the bottom, sitting on the ledge right outside the doorway that doubled as the entrance and exit. I sat next to him and turned my camera on to show him what I'd seen. I always know that, if he can't come with me, he'll be waiting for me to tell him all about my latest adventure.

Luke loved Bologna before we got there. I loved Bologna because I got to see it with him, and because he let me see it by myself.