Final days in Italy

 I unfortunately had to say ciao to Italy this past Thursday as my program came to an end and it was time to come home. I finished off the second half of my stay in Italy with a trip to Rome and a trip to the Amalfi Coast as well as continuing to explore my home city of Florence. As expected, Rome was stunning and crowded. While we couldn’t go inside of the Colosseum, we did get to go in the Pantheon by joining a tour group last minute as entrance was by reservation only. After the Pantheon, we stopped by the Trevi Fountain and threw in a euro to make a wish per tradition. While I was taken away by the incredible culture and history surrounding the great city of Rome, my absolute favorite part about the trip was an unforgettable lunch. After searching around for a place to eat, my friends and I stumbled across a hidden gem of a restaurant. The food was amazing, but the atmosphere and the staff made the experience a thousand times better. Our waiters were incredibly friendly and would talk and joke with us throughout the meal. We must have stayed there for at least two hours enjoying their company and the free limoncello shots they gave us. After befriending the waiters, I introduced myself to the owner and expressed my immense gratitude for such great service and food. He actually shared some history about the restaurant including that it had been in his family since 1946! We even made friends with the tables around us and it turned into a whole social event. If I could relive one moment from my entire trip, I might just pick this lunch.

My trip to the Amalfi Coast was also quite eventful. After taking the train from Florence to Naples, we rode a ferry to Sorrento where our apartment was located. We dropped our luggage off, change into swimsuits, and went on a mission to find a beach. I decided the best way to find the perfect place would be to ask a local and so I did. I wandered into a bathing suit store and asked the lady who worked there which beach we should go to. We must have talked for twenty minutes as she was giving me the ins and outs of beaches in the area and eventually disclosed her favorite spot to go to. While it wasn’t in walking distance so we had to take a taxi and it was definitely off the beaten path, it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. The taxi dropped us off about fifteen minutes away since the rest of the way was a walk down a cobblestone and dirt path. Eventually, after navigating this little path, we made it to the clearing of a breathtaking cove. While instead of sand there were rocks which aren’t very barefoot friendly, once you get into the water it makes it all worth it. I actually ended up cliff jumping for the first time here and the view across the ocean was to Mount Vesuvius. The next day we took a bus to Positano. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the fondest experience here as just minutes after entering the water I got stung by a jellyfish. Being from Florida, I’ve been stung by many jellies but this sting was unlike anything I’ve felt before. After refusing to let my friends pee on my sting, we found a pharmacy and got medication to treat the sting so it wouldn’t ruin the rest of my day. We finished up our day in Positano with some lunch and shopping.

My last few days in Florence were overwhelming with final projects and exams but nothing a Marietta College student can’t handle. As my time in Italy was nearing its end, I had very bitter-sweet feelings about it. On the one hand, I was homesick but on the other hand I didn’t want to give up my little life I created in Florence. Even though I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to do during my time in Italy, it just gives me more reasons to come back one day. I think one month was long enough for me as the homesickness was really starting to kick in. I missed free iced water, free bathrooms, and American air conditioning. Now that I’m back home, I miss the

quality of food, social culture, and friends that I made along the way. I think I’ve adopted a bit of the Italian lifestyle into my own unique culture. Italy has changed me as a person for the better and I wouldn’t change it for the world. This experience was nothing but life changing and marked the beginning of pursuing my traveling ambitions. Until we meet again Florence.