WHY ITALY WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAVORITE COUNTRY

I have now traveled to 45 countries.

I can’t say that I’m too taken aback by this – but I certainly find it remarkable that I’ve made travel such a priority in my life. I’ve somehow managed to carve out the time to see so many different destinations! It’s truly a wild thought.

Needless to say, there’s no end in sight. There are so many more places on my radar! With that being said, there’s really no other place in the world that has left an imprint on me quite like Italy has. I can still vividly remember the first time I traveled to Italia… I was 14 (for those of you trying to do the math and figure out my age- this was 13 years ago). I went with a student organization called People to People. My best friend Laurie joined the trip which created such a large sense of ease for me – I could just allow myself to experience it with minimal worries and misgivings knowing she was alongside me sharing the same moments, fears, and considerations. There is an undeniable heedfulness you’re hyper-aware of when traveling in general, never mind at such a young age.

On the trip, we also visited France and Malta… but I can’t recollect nearly as many details while in these countries nearly as well as I can memorialize my moments in Italy. I can remember the distinct aromas permeating throughout the small alleyways in-between activities, the first slice of Napalitono pizza that I salivated over, and the infectious energy that Italians seemed to have possessed. I was assuredly enamored with the culture but for reasons, I couldn’t truly appreciate until the next time I visited.

Which now brings us to my study abroad during my final year of college. I spent a month in Milan with 30 other girls working with a PR agency and Online Fashion Publication. I also reconnected with a distant cousin during my time there. I felt an ardent connection to the culture. I was radiating an energy that must have been one of the preeminent factors to why I was invited back by both companies and offered a job. I was absolutely elated! Living in my favorite country – could anything be better?!

Half a year later, I packed my two oversized bags and moved to the Italian fashion capital. I felt so compelled to connect with the culture on a far deeper level. I forced myself to learn the language, get lost frequently, visit my family in Genoa on the weekends, and travel all over. The more vulnerable I allowed myself to be…it felt like I was stripping back the layers of a culture that I was already so bewitched by.

Living in Italy is unquestionably one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. There are so many reasons to love this country – but my personal leading ones being:

It’s so rich in history
The food is AMAZING (it will spoil you though – beware!)
The people are captivating
Beauty everywhere… literally! Architecture, the sea, mountains – you can have it all!
An energy you can’t find anywhere else in the world