Well, its officially been two years since I started the biggest adventure of my life: studying abroad in Italy for four months! To some this may seem like no big deal, and to many this may seem like the biggest deal ever. For me, it was huge because I’m a total home body and extremely close with my family, so to up and leave the country for the first time in my life and be gone for four months was pretty ballsy on my part.
To say this was the experience of a lifetime is an understatement. Not only did I grow as a human being, get to see some of the worlds most beautiful places, and experience the Italian culture as the Italians do, but this journey sparked one of my greatest passions: traveling.
It is safe to say I could never fit all the adventures from these four months into one post, so instead I put together some of my favorite pictures from the trip! You can definitely expect more posts from my travels in the future, but until then, enjoy!
First stop- Paris!Custom drinks at ShamrocksOne of the bigger issues we faced while in Perugia: Pigeons getting stuck between our shutters and window. I HATE birds, so we’d use chopsticks to push the shutters open without opening the windows too much so the birds couldn’t get in. Absolutely terrifying (for me at least)Top five night. Well, maybe not for the twins (RIP Steph’s phone, RIP Sarah’s wallet)Our guiltiest pleasure while studying in Italy: a Chinese restaurant. (Wangs you are missed!)Early on in the trip we drove out to a little ranch in the countryside and learned how to make homemade pasta from small Italian women. A once in a lifetime experience!Breakfast at Cafe Turreno: Cornetto con prosciutto e formaggioWorld Famous Baci chocolate is made in Perugia! This is a picture from their factory.The cutest study spot in Perugia: AlphavilleTHE BEST BLT YOU WILL EVER EAT IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE (also at Alphaville)Perugia: known for its views.The coolest thing about studying in Italy was learning about something in class and then getting to go see the history in real life. This is the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, a place I visited often. And with those views, who would blame me?Did you even study abroad in Italy if you didn’t do a wine tasting?When your bestie comes to visit you in PerugiaWhen you go to London with all your bestiesSo surreal to see my face standing in front of landmarks like theseCheers to Cinque TerreIt was a full blown hurricane (maybe a little dramatic) while we were in Cinque Terre, but Manarola was still as beautiful as the pictures.All you can eat sushi feast that may or may not have resulted in rice balls in the purse…A weekend getaway to sunny Palermo, SicilyTeatro Massimo, where the end of The Godfather III was filmedArancini. If you don’t know, now you know.Did you even study abroad in Italy if you didn’t eat gelato at every given opprotunity?It doesn’t get more beautiful than Florence.When the parents come to Italy and…. we find a Persian food restaurant in Rome…The Vatican. Speaks for itself.Damn. Couldn’t snag this pic without taking a bite first.Getting to see Roman ruins with my parents >>Favorite guy came to see me!!! (and eat Mr. Chips, of course)Roma with my loveWalking around ruins of what used to be the most powerful empire in the world.. just another Friday in Italy.Top five moment: Drinking wine and eating spaghetti with Hayden at a small restaurant outside the Pantheon while the sun goes down and an Italian man plays “That’s Amore” on the accordion.Another top five moment: taking a private boat tour around the island of Capri with my favorite person.The Grotta Azzurra, CapriAnother top five moment: sipping a Peroni on the beach in Positano with Hayden. A place people save a lifetime to visit, and there we were, two kids in our twenties, taking it all in.Got to meet some of the best people while I was abroad. Wouldn’t have wanted to be there with anyone else!Another visitor while I was abroad! Hayden’s sister, Hannah, met me in Dublin and then came back to Perugia for the weekDublin was easily one of my favorite places I visitedDid you even go to Dublin if you didn’t visit the Guinness factory?Blurry picture, but was taught how to properly drink a Guinness (elbow up) by an Irish man.Taking a bus to Munich, Germany and waking up in the middle of it to views of the Swiss AlpsSpring Fest. Where you get a buzz and a workout at the same time!The last day in Perugia. Can’t look at this picture without feeling loads of nostalgia.Found a home in this city in the short four months I was there. I don’t know when or how, but I will definitely be back.
While I’m being all sappy I might as well share some songs that I can’t hear without missing Italy. Isn’t it funny how a smell or a song can just transport you through time? These songs won’t mean much to anyone else, but I wanted to include them so that years from now when I forget the details, I can reread this post and have it all come rushing back.
