Don't get me wrong, climbing to the top of Mt. Vesuvius, taking a gondola ride along the Venice canals and stepping into the mighty Colosseum definitely leave you feeling aw-struck. It was the non-touristy, regular, every day sort of things that I enjoyed the most.
For example, we went to a Sopressa (similar to salami, but bigger) festival in a little town tucked away in the mountains. We had a picnic in a forest in Asiago and ate sandwiches filled with fine cheeses. We climbed a mountain that was the site of a WW1 battle ground. We went to countless markets, ate the most amazing thinly sliced roast beef and laughed every time we heard someone say "putana".We visited the eclectic home of a Catullus (a famous Italian poet) and learned how to make blueberry grappa. My most favourite memories were those where we all ate dinner outside, and then sat and swatted at mosquitos until the sun went down, laughing and drinking prosecco.
I'm getting my Italian passport. My mum is first generation Canadian, and because of that, me and my brother are able get them. With that passport, I could actually live there. Staying for a month is such a small sampling of the dolce vita (I know that phrase is incredibly cliche, but I don't care. There is no other way to describe it.)
Yes, Italy is in an economical crisis. Yes, tax is 23%. Yes, trying to find a job is probably next near in impossible, but those are all small things in comparison to the way I felt eating stinky cheese while looking at the stars.
When I came home four years ago after being in Italy for a month, I was incredibly depressed. This time, I feel even worse. I'm going to take these negative feelings, and turn them into energy so I can learn the language, and figure out exactly how I can get over there and live for longer than a month.
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