Whenever I go abroad, I enjoy the little details about the country I visit. Each country has their unique aspects and cultural traditions, and I love experiencing them. For instance, doner in Germany makes my heart (and stomach) swoon. While you can find kebabs in many places, Germany’s is distinctly different, and I dream about getting it whenever I can. Now that I’m in Italy, I’m noticing things distinct to this culture. For instance, the old men who laze about in the Piazza; the abundance of young people who think they are invincible when they smoke and drive recklessly; the free water you get in a mini-bicchiere with coffee but not with anything else.

I decided I wanted to compile a list of three things that I will miss the most about Italian culture. While it’s (obviously) not comprehensive, these are the main three things. Do you have anything unique to any countries that you have visited that you will/do miss the most?

1. Uncut Pizza

As an American, I am used to my pizza being cut. I never considered pizza being delivered to me…well, uncut. Frozen pizzas, restaurant pizzas, chain-pizzas—they are all purchased/served with a minimum of four cuts. So coming to Italy and ordering my first pizza gave me a nice little surprise; it was a delicious, yet all-in-one, piece of pizza. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for me to get over this, and it’s become quite endearing. I don’t know why Italians do this, but I have a feeling it might be weird for me to return back to the US and get my pizza delivered to me already cut.

2. Easy to Find Gelato

I never tried gelato before I came to Italy, but I made friends who happily convinced me to. Gelato is a God-send. Granted, I have only tried a couple of flavors, but I’m content with the ones I have. I will eventually venture out to more flavors, but when I really crave it, strawberry (i.e. fragola) is the one for me. My favorite is at Puro & Bio in Urbino; it’s organic and vegan, but the flavor is so strong.

3. Fashionable, Yet Casual

One thing that Europeans (especially Italians) do very well is dress. They dress up well, dress down well, dress in between well. Italians love to look like they put in an effort. It’s really different than how Americans are; some people follow the European style (like New Yorkers), but many others are super casual all the time (like Californians). There’s nothing wrong with how we dress in America, but I really like the effort Europeans put into their day-to-day style.

The City of Love—Paris, Parigi, París. Who would’ve known how quickly I would fall in love with the city? To be honest, I didn’t even think I would like the city. Prior to going, I’d been warned about the rude people, the overcrowded streets and tourist traps, and how the city was simply “overrated.” These warnings made convincing me to buy a ticket really difficult. Thankfully, I have some pretty persuasive friends. Paris is a city that’s vibrant and full of culture; it’s a city that I am glad I didn’t miss out on.

My trip wasn’t very long. My friends and I went on Friday and came back late on Sunday. Leaving was one of the hardest things I had to do; the city captured me and I didn’t want to leave. Paris is a difficult city to see in such a short time. Everything is in its own arrondissement, so traveling around took quite a bit of time. (I cannot tell you how many Ubers and taxis we had to take!) In addition to that, there was striking/protests going on about their public transport (i.e. underground tram), so the streets were crowded with traffic. Regardless, once we got to where we were going, walking around was easy. Most of the hotspots of the city (the Louvre, Museo d’Orsay, Eiffel Tower) are in the same general area. Everything is within a 30-40 minute walk—this is a lot, but think about all of the things you will see in between.


The first day that we were in Paris, we did not do much. We were exhausted from a day full of traveling, so we ended up grabbing dinner at a pizzeria before crashing for the night. The hostel that was stayed at was called Le Montclair Montmartre. While it was not horrible, the hostel also wasn’t the best. For one, the beds in our room didn’t come made. They give you sheets and you have to make the bed yourself, which is pretty weird to me. I don’t go on vacation to have to make my own bed. Strike one. Two, the bathroom didn’t come with soap to wash your hands. That speaks for itself. Strike two. While I could nitpick and give them more strikes, I’m not, but I probably would not stay there again.

On our second day in Paris,  we went to get breakfast at Breakfast in America. It was a cute little diner that served delicious food. I ordered scrambled eggs and ham with potatoes and freshly squeezed orange juice. After we ate, we went to shop at Primark. I love this store; it’s full of cute clothes, shoes, and accessories. The only downfall is that it’s super busy. We stayed here fore about two hours before we went out to explore Paris more.


We started at the end of the Seine River. There, we went to the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore and walked our way towards the Eiffel Tower. I could not tell you how much I enjoyed the bookstore. I bought three books (and got the official stamp!) about social justice, and I was tempted to get more. Their collection is endless! It’s nothing like Liberia Aqua Alta in Venice, which was more eclectic. Shakespeare and Company was modern and everything was easy to find. Once we left the bookstore, we were all starving, so we decided to get lunch. We ended up eating at Shiso Burger. I got a cheeseburger, and it was pretty delicious. The restaurant drew us in because of its modern decor and neon lights. (Obviously that’s perfect for a picture!)

During our walk to the Eiffel Tower, we walked along the Seine river, where a lot of people seem to take their lunches and hang out with friends. If I lived in Paris, I would do the same thing because it was really nice down there. It was a pretty cool way to get away from the hustle and bustle of tourism at the top. My favorite part about walking along the river was the guy playing his guitar and singing. When we finally went back up to the top of the river, we found the Bridge of Love Locks. Paris technically began to take these down in 2015, but apparently they left a portion up. After all, it’s the City of Love, so I guess they wanted to keep some of it.

Around 6:30, we finally reached the Eiffel Tower. It was as perfect as I could imagine. One thing I knew during my trip to Paris was that I was not going to leave without seeing the tower. It’s the staple of the city. It lights up (or turns off) in in solidarity of events that happens worldwide; it sparkles; it stands during all events. It’s the epitome of Paris.  While you can go up the tower, we decided not to because the line was long, and it’s not the same as seeing it. I don’t really care about going up. After taking our pictures, we walked around the same area, where there are carousels and food. We wanted to wait to see the tower sparkle. This was probably the best thing; it was so magical.



On the last day we were in Paris, we went to the Museo d’Orsay and the Louvre. It was a more touristy day, but it wasn’t too much. We enjoyed taking photos (both of ourselves and photojournalism), and we had a delicious lunch outside at another cafe. I had a burger, fries, and coleslaw (which was pretty darn good). We left the city at 6:05 so that we could make it to the airport in time.  Since we didn’t fly in-and-out of Charles de Gaulle, we had to take a shuttle early enough to get back to Beauvis, which was about an hour-and-half away.

Last weekend, I traveled to Venice and Verona with some of my friends (Grace, Katlyn, and Kennedy). Before I went, I had no idea what to expect. It’s kind of funny in hindsight, but I’ve never really thought much about Venice. Gondolas—what are those? Colorful, seaside homes—okayyyy. But once I went, I fell in love with the city. It’s so vibrant, colorful, and peaceful (if you don’t count all of the tourists). Verona is pretty much the same, but it’s not seaside, and I wouldn’t say it’s as colorful as Venice. It’s charming in its own way.

My friends and I left to catch an 8 am bus to Pesaro on Friday, March 9th. Our train was leaving from Pesaro to Bologna around 9:30 am, which would then take us to our final destination: Venice. The bus and first train were uneventful; I slept for most of it because I woke up so early. When we arrived in Bologna, we stopped at a juice bar before getting on our final train. The second train was also uneventful; I played games on my phone most of the time until we arrived.

My first impression of Venice was the water. I’ve been missing being around water for the longest time, so this was really refreshing for me. Just listening to the sound of the waves crashing or even the peaceful lapping of the water relaxes me. As soon as you walk out of the train station in Venice, you are greeted with a beautiful view: a long boardwalk, gorgeous blue water, and tall, colorful buildings in the background. Since we came on a Friday, Venice was already beginning to get crowded, but this didn’t bother me because of how excited I was to be there.


When my friends and I decided to come to Venice, we knew that we wanted to stay on the island. The original plan was to come with all 12 of our study abroad group, but when planning lodging, that became quite difficult. So smaller groups became a thing, and my group decided to stay in an Airbnb. Our host was named Giorgio, and he was really great! He gave us directions to get to a meeting point one we arrived in Venice, which is where he met us and showed us to our lodging. The loft we rented was gorgeous! It was bright and colorful (a great way to stay on brand in Venice); it was clean; and it was convenient. It was not too far from a grocery story, McDonald’s (which is apparently very important), the water, and the train station.

On the first day we stayed in Venice, I had a Skype Interview, so I stayed back for a bit while the others went grocery shopping. When they came back, we went out to check out Venice. There were so many little shops full of decor, jewelry, sweet treats, and clothes. Most Italian cities are like this, but Venice’s was really charming. The walkways were pretty tiny when you weren’t on the main road, but that’s a characteristic that wasn’t too hard to get over. When it got later into the night, Kennedy and I walked around more while Katlyn and Grace walked back to the Airbnb. For dinner, we ended up buying overprice Chinese food, but it was pretty good, so minimal regrets are had.

The next day, we woke up really early and took a train to Verona. Verona is not super popular among Italians; we were told that mainly Americans and British people love it because of Romeo and Juliet. (How could you not!?) Our main goal was to visit la Casa di Giuiletta (Juliet’s House). Walking into the house, we say colorful walls full of writing and postcards solidifying people’s love for one another. The further in you walked, you finally saw the balcony of Juliet as well as a statue of her beneath it. It’s good luck to touch her breast, so we made sure to do that. We also toured the museum, and we were able to actually go up on her balcony.


Our time in Verona was good. We met up with one of Kennedy’s Italian friends, and she was basically our tour guide. We saw an above-ground tomb, a statue of Dante, and the Verona arena. For lunch, we had pizza at a cafe. It was okay, but the customer service when it was time to pay was pretty poor. Would I recommend it? No. We could of have better. Regardless, it did not ruin our trip. It was time for us to leave Verona anyway.

When we got back to Venice, the four of us played a bit more Monopoly that we started the night before. (Our Airbnb provided games, which was great!) It was in Italian, so that was interesting to play—shout out to Google Translate—and we never finished the game before we left the city. After about two hours, we left to go to Le Zitalle (another part of Venice) for a home cooked dinner at one of the other group’s Airbnb. To get there, we had to take a water taxi. It didn’t take long to get to the others. Water taxis are Venice’s public transportation (like buses); they run frequently.

For dinner, the other group made spaghetti, garlic bread, and Grace brought a pizza to split. Another reason we met up was to celebrate Ryan’s 22nd birthday. We brought him some treats and a birthday candle (that broke and had to be melted back together). It was a pretty fun night.


The last day we were there, Kennedy, Katlyn, and I went to Liberia Acqua Alta, which is a huge bookstore with cats and a great photo-op. I really liked it because books are my thing. Unfortunately, it was raining all day, but we did not let that stop us. After this, we walked around Venice until we found the “hands,” which is basically an art exhibit attached to a hotel. It’s pretty popular and was really nice to see. After we did this, we didn’t have much time left, so we broke off for lunch. I simply had McDonald’s. Once everyone finished eating, some people went to a couple of shops, but I met up with them to grab some gelato before we left. (I’m officially addicted!)

This past weekend was amazing. Not only did I meet people from all around Europe (and more), I practiced my Italian, finished one of my books, and found a few bars and cafes here in Urbino that I feel at least one will become my "spot”—take that as you will. I feel as if my time here is going by slowly, but also quickly, as I do so much in one day. Sunday was my first “do nothing” day, which seems counterintuitive to anyone studying abroad, but those types of days are crucial to avoiding burnout. Yes, I want to experience all that I can, but self-care is one thing that I am prioritizing this year, so I am making sure that I have downtime. I’m an introverted extrovert, so I rely on recharge days to get back the steam that I burned out by socializing.

Anywho, let’s talk about what I’ve been getting into.

Thursday

Thursday was a great day—er, let’s actually say Thursday night. In the daytime, I had my Italian and Mobile Photojournalism class. Cool—it’s class. We’re in college, so this is normal and nothing major came out of it. But when the evening hit (around 10 pm), three of the girls here with me and our Italian “advisor” (we don’t really have a title for her) had a girls night out. The first place we went to was called The Underground. It was a really nice place with great music (Audrey and I were ready to get up and dance, but that’d’ve been to American, lol), awesome drinks, and interesting people. My intention was to get a beer, but I ended up splitting both a Sex on the Beach and a Jamaica Julep with McKenna; both drinks tasted fruity and dangerous (because you really can’t taste the alcohol, especially in the last one).


We stayed at The Underground for a long time. It was really loud with the music, but it was a great time. A guy from Naples kept coming over and saying “Cheers” to us, which was hilarious. Alessia (our Italian advisor) called that he was from Naples before he told us. It was his dialect, which I can’t wait to be able to distinguish between. Anyways, the guy eventually sat down and started talking to us. He was fun to talk to, but he was definitely sly. (This is when we learned the Italian word “furbo.”)

After we left to The Underground, we went to a caffè called Caffè Del Sole. It is a really artsy place where artists and poets normally go. Alessia asked us if we wanted to take a shot, and that’s where I learned that Keglevich’s Strawberry Vodka doesn’t taste like vodka at all, and I can learn to like the stuff again. After four of us took our shots, we noticed that Alessia still had hers, and as she slowly sipped it, she said, “I don’t do shots.” Well, that’s fun. At this caffe, we met this older man whose name is either Yadel or Marchegiano—he wasn’t really sure. He really enjoyed speaking with us in English, but only if we talked slower.

Friday

I woke up on Friday knowing that the day was going to be bad. I was irritated, a migraine was coming on, and it seemed like everything that could go wrong was, indeed, going wrong. Friday was also our first esame italiano (Italian exam). Despite my irritation for the day, I felt confident about the exam because I’d been studying so much. By this point, I had ordered food in Italian, gotten lost in Italy, and made a decent schedule for myself in this Italian town, so yeah, my confidence was high. But I was also really nervous because taking an exam with a new professor is always anxiety inducing. I like knowing what kind of questions to expect and what to study for the exam. Luckily, I can say that I passed my exam with a 48/50.

Later Friday night, I just stayed in. It was a rainy night (and oh my gosh, the roads are slippery here when it’s rainy), so I slept some, read, and did laundry. The laundry part was pretty funny considering that I did it in a bidet (a toilet/sink in European bathrooms where you wash up in). Since we do not use ours, we dedicated ours for laundry since we still have no idea where the laundry room is. It was a very interesting experience, indeed.

Saturday

Saturday morning through afternoon was pretty relaxed.  It was a really snowy day, so I wasn’t that motivated to go out. I slept most of the day and finished up my book (13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi). The same three girls and I went to go get pizza for lunch, and it. was. heavenly. I enjoyed it so much. That evening (around 7 pm), our group of 12 went to the Erasmus event, which is basically a bunch of European students that exchange at other European universities. We were invited because our professor (Dennis Chamberlin) knew the daughter of the woman over the event. So that was a really awesome way for us to meet more international students! It was also pretty cool that this event was held at the same caffe some of us visited a couple of days before: Caffè Del Sole.


At the event, we were able to aperitivo, which is a really cool way to say free food with drinks. There were students mostly from Italy, but also various Asian countries, Ireland, and Spanish-speaking countries. We were the only Americans invited, so of course we felt special (lol). During our time there, I learned that Italians think that country music is the favorite genre of most Americans (of course I love it, which is all that matters really); I also learned that I suck at foosball. (Sorry, Katlyn!)

During this event, the Erasmus team planned a couple of games with randomly created teams. I had two other Americans on my team (Ryan and Kennedy), on Italian, two guys from Vietnam, and on Irishman. The organizers stressed how important it was to have at least one person who could speak Italian on our team; I later realized why. Literally every clue was in Italian. This made a lot of sense when we later figured out all of our clues were in Italian. Our first job was to find the Erasmus flag. Unfortunately for our team, ours was hidden under the snow, by a bench. There was no way we would have found that. Next, we had to create the ESN sign with our bodies. Our final task was to find a pub, called Bosom. They ordered everyone shots there (I honestly was not expecting that). We spent the rest of our night there, dancing, talking, and having a good time.

We’ve all been there: you’re finally arrived at the airport with a carry-on, a bag for check-in, and a personal item. Everything is all packed and secured. Walking up to the check-in counter, you have your ID or passport ready. When you go to put your check-in bag on the scale, you’re confident (or blissfully unaware) that your bag is below the maximum allowed weight of 50 lbs. But wait—oh crap, that can’t be right! 50.5 lbs. 55 lbs. 62.5. Okay, this is getting ridiculous now. 

1. Don’t panic 

2. Try to rearrange items in your luggage

3. Start purging

4. Bring someone with you to the airport