My Italian summer 2021

Wrote this last summer and am finally finishing and publishing it. LOL life!!

I am finally back to writing again for myself and for all of you! I still feel like I’m stuck in a weird in-between place, somewhere between dealing with reverse culture shock and trying to feel somewhat settled where I am for the time being.

I’ve been reconnecting with friends and families in the few weeks I’ve been back in the US. The most common question people are asking me is “what was your favorite place you traveled to?” Honestly, the answer is easy: Tropea! I loved that place so much, plus passed the time with really good friends. People are often curious about where else I traveled this summer in Italy, so I thought I’d make a little list.

I am living in the summer nostalgia still, I can’t believe it’s come to an end. I have so much content I want to share and produce still (this happens every time I live in Italy). If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure I’ll be sharing Rome photos and beautiful beaches for weeks or months to come. I still can’t quite believe how much I was able to travel. I felt safe the whole summer thanks to Italy’s rules regarding masks and other covid precautions.

The vaccine rate in Europe is actually higher than the US and they are doing a lot better with all of it at the moment thanks to their commitment to keeping everyone safe. One of my biggest shocks coming back to the US has been the realization that it really is everyone for themselves. I hate this, especially when it comes to covid rules. I think we should have stricter rules so that it’s not just individuals deciding what’s best. It doesn’t make sense to me.

Anyways, that’s not what I wanted to talk about in this blog post. Let’s dive into where I went last summer. Hopefully more blog posts to come about each place, when I can get around to it.

estate italiana 2021

ROMA

Where I was based by a stroke of luck and the generosity of my former au pair host family, who remain close friends.

Castelgandolfo

My friends and I took a day trip to the town where the Pope summers. Castelgandolfo is home to the papal summer palace, and an amazing volcanic lake. We spent the day at the beach.

Tropea and the Aeolian Islands

My best friend and her boyfriend were working in Tropea for the summer, so I took the train from Rome to Calabria for a trip. It was the first time I had seen her since I left Rome in December of 2019 (and the pandemic)! My friend’s friend flew in from the Netherlands and we stayed together and became amazing friends too! Tropea quickly became one of my favorite places on Earth—so much so that we extended our stay. We took a day trip to the Aeolian Islands (which are part of Sicily) and they were incredible and indescribable.

Napoli

A day trip to Napoli for a pizza at Da Michele? Always a good idea. Traveled with my friend and took in some new sites in a city I’ve been to once before and would love to return to.

Venezia and Bardolino, Lake Garda

This weekend was better than I imagined! I spent time wandering alone around Venice, one of my favorite cities in the world. Met a friend for a spritz on Friday night and then took the train and a bus to Lake Garda for the day to see another friend. It was truly an unforgettable weekend, meeting friends I had made online during the pandemic (thanks Tandem) in real life for the first time.

Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, and Bari

A beautiful, beautiful trip with three friends to Puglia! One of my best friends has a house there and she was the best host. We flew from Rome to Bari then explored the region by train, enjoying a lot of time on the beach, chatting and listening to music and enjoying lemon Peronis. I had at least two caffè leccese a day. A week I’ll never forget!

Firenze

One of my friends from Minnesota came to visit me and we went back to Florence together—where we had studied abroad. It was the best time to be back in that city together, then to be able to show her my life in Rome. Quite magical, I would say!

I can’t wait to see where summer 2022 will take me! Stay tuned for more on that soon…