I Love Italy And I Am Buying One Of These…

Alright……so it has been a while. Here I am after a month of not writing a single post. I’m beyond disappointed with myself. I can’t even really give an explanation of why I haven’t written. I could say that I have been too busy, or that I just never have enough time. Unfortunately both of those reasons would be untrue. I’m a honest person and lying just isn’t my style.
I started this Blog as a way to keep my family and friends in touch while I was away in Italy. I thought it would be a fantastic way for them to come along on my trip. I also wanted to share my experience in Italy with anyone who was interested. There is no place in the world I would rather travel to. For some reason I just stopped writing. What can I say? Sometimes that’s just the way things are. They never work out as planned.

I think somewhere along the line, it finally hit me that it was impossible for me to put into words the things that I have experienced in just two short months. It would be impossible for me to explain the thoughts in my head, the whirlwind of emotions and the challenges that I have faced. It certainly hasn’t all been perfect. There have been days where I even questioned coming to Italy. On other days all I wanted was the comfort of my condo and the opportunity to drive my own car. This trip has been such a life changing experience that it is almost difficult to describe.

It is difficult to describe the experience of walking through the deserted narrow alleyways of a medieval town at night while I was alone and in the rain. My feet were in terrible pain due to my poor choice in stylish shoes, but you have to look good in Italy! Yet, I couldn’t stop walking. There wasn’t a person in sight. Only me, the buildings and the rain. The only thing you could hear was the rain hitting the cobblestone streets. I felt like I had gone back in time 500 years. That day, a part of me wished that I did.

Today, I wish I could go back to that day. I wish that I had two months left in Italy instead of only one. It is finally starting to hit me that my time here is winding down. I only have about 3 weeks left. 3 months (due to visa/passport requirements) seemed like an eternity. Unfortunately, I have realized that it’s not. However, the amount of memories that are ingrained in my head will last a lifetime. I have made new friends that I can’t picture life without. I’m worried what it will be like to say goodbye. I wonder if I have had as much of an impact on them as they have had on me. I wonder if Italy will miss me? Every single day I wonder how I am going to be able to leave. Can I actually leave here again? This is my third time to Italy and I am forced to leave again. After all the hard work, sacrifice and planning it took to get here, how can I now leave?

For some reason Italy seems to have this effect on so many people. Once you visit, this country wraps its hands around a certain part of you and never lets go. It keeps calling you back before you have even left. If you have ever been here, you know what I mean. There is something about this place that makes you feel alive. If you ever figure out what it is, please let me know.

In the meantime, I am going to keep enjoying my days making the most of this experience. Today I taught Jessica a new saying. I told her that “this has been one hell of an experience”. It truly has been a journey of a lifetime. The best part is, I still have more than three weeks left! I will update this blog more in the next few weeks, and trust me, this time I will. By the way, I started this post with a totally different topic in mind. If the current post title doesn’t make sense this is the reason why. I have found something here in Italy that I am buying when I return to America. I’ll give you a hint, there are a ton of them in Italy, but very few in America. Do you think you know what it is? Stay tuned to the next post to find out…