How was my summer? Oh, just incredible! I lived in Italy for two whole months. Yeah, it was a really formative experience. I was in a foreign country all on my own and I didn’t even speak Italian when I got there. I mean, yeah, I was with a bunch of other American students in my study abroad program, and like basically everyone I met spoke English, but it was still really hard to learn all the cultural nuances they just don’t teach you about unless you live there and learn for yourself! Like, they don’t drink cappuccinos after 10 a.m.! It’s actually considered a sin. Also, did you know the food is so much better in Italy? I mean, of course it tastes better, but it’s also so much healthier. They don’t use preservatives or pesticides or chemical-y stuff in their food, so it’s a lot better for your digestive system! Honestly, I ate a whole pizza almost every day and I never had a stomachache. American food is really too greasy. It’s embarrassing.

I tried not to eat out too much while I was there though, just because it was so expensive and I wanted to save part of my budget to get aged cheese and silk slippers from every city I visited. Yeah, I mean, the program covered housing and flights and everything, but I had to ask my parents to pay for all the weekend trips I was taking with my friends! And they already paid $15,000 for the program in the first place, so I felt really bad!! But it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and honestly I think traveling everywhere I could really changed me as a person. I experienced so many different cultures and tried so many new things, like using an ATM and waiting for the bus.

I totally feel like a different person now. I don’t drink super sugary coffee anymore and I stopped breaking my pasta in half so it fits in the pot. I heard that will actually cause a nonna to have a heart attack. Nonna is Italian for grandma, by the way. I also can’t stop accidentally speaking in Italian! Every time I walk into a shop, I say “ciao!” to the cashiers, and they just look at me like I have two heads! It’s crazy how some people haven’t experienced any other cultures. Oh, you have to head to class? Au revoir!!