Why I Moved
I was 17 when the thought of moving to Italy first crossed my mind. It was August of 2008, and I had just spent three wonderful weeks on vacation traveling the boot with my family—stopping briefly in Venice, then making…
My Milano Bucket List
After an errand on Wednesday afternoon, I happened to pass by a seemingly old church and even older ingresso to a building adjacent to it, both located on the campus of the University of Milano. I later learned that just…
The American Inability to Relax
Have you ever watched and/or read Eat Pray Love? There’s a scene in the movie where Luca Spaghetti candidly tells Liz that she doesn’t know how to enjoy herself because she is American. He goes into a somewhat offensive, entirely…
18 Things 2018 Taught Me
Hello, old friend! Buona domenica, and buon 2019 🙂 I can’t believe it’s been 2+ months since I last posted something on here, but it’s a new year and I vow to be more consistent with my blog. So, my…
Identity Crisis
“Where are you from?” “How did you learn to speak Italian?” “What’s your story?” “So, are you American or Italian?!” These are some of the questions I’m faced with often here, but I honestly don’t mind answering them. My response…
Turning a New Leaf
Ciao, it’s been a while (again)! I’ve been neglecting this blog of mine for a few weeks now… partly because I’ve had little free time; partly because I’ve had not a clue what to write about. In the time since…
Five Practical Ways I’ve Improved my Italian
Learning another language is an incredibly stimulating, yet challenging experience. The beauty (and pitfall) of language learning, however, is that you’re never really quite done. In my case, for example, my family began to teach me to count in Italian at…
My Thoughts on Milano’s Modern Renaissance
THERE’S A HOT NEW destination—a cultural, culinary and style center—trending in northern Italy. It’s called Milan and it’s been hiding in plain sight for decades beneath its reputation as “Italy’s industrial capital” with countless references to its factories belching gray…
What I Don’t Miss About the U.S.
Air conditioners. Target. Attentive waiters. Space. Lots of it. These are just a few of the things I miss about home (my loved ones, of course, go without saying!). The more time I spend in Italy, though, the more accustomed…
The ‘Ass’ in Mass Tourism
Ciao! It’s been a while. After three weeks in New York and a 10-day vacation in Sardegna, I’m back in Milano and ready to write. Well, actually, I returned to Milano last weekend and have been pretty uninspired to post…
I Changed My Mind…
A little under two months ago, in the midst of my existential crisis, I published a post titled “26 and Careerless“. We hadn’t yet moved into the city, and I was still feeling quite homesick and unmotivated. I had ultimately…