wide-eyed with wanderlust

There’s a lot to report since last we spoke. Genoa is everything I could have possibly imagined and more! It is absolutely stunning and I definitely feel like a wide-eyed tourist, especially considering the fact that all my Italian flies out the window as soon as I get put on the spot. Speaking Italian to Italians has been interesting. I know I’m an American and I know they know I’m an American and everything is so fast! I will say, though, even in the week and a half that I have been here I have seen a lot of improvement in the comprehension of what people are saying. Which, you know, is sort of the reason why I decided to come here.

Besides that, the apartment is gorgeous: spacious high ceilings, balconies, and right in the center of everything. It is nothing like anything I've experience in the states, thats for sure. There are cafè’s around every corner and pizzaria’s across from them and there is certainly no short supply of mopeds or gelato.

There is one small snag with the gorgeous place I am calling my home for the next four weeks: the wifi sucks. There's really no other way to go about it. The reason why I'm bringing up this slight snag in the adventures is because I will not be able to update you as much as I planned on doing. We had working wifi for approximately 3 days and it stopped. It's back on now (obviously) but we are unsure of how long we will have this, so you will have to bear with me on this one!

Wifi and beauty aside, I wouldn’t be me if there weren’t plenty of “oops” or "blonde" moments. I think my most confusing moment, aside from knowing what to say, when to say it and what is being said to me, was a moment when I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to flush the toilet. I stood there searching the walls and the floors for what seemed like ten minutes until I finally decided to look above eye level (which sadly isn't that high off the floor). Not sure if that counts as culture shock, but I was thoroughly confused! I also took a tumble out of the shower the first time around. Definitely didn't realize the floor was farther down than the bottom of the tub and my short stature didn't help matters at all! In retrospect, Italy doesn't seem to cater to the vertically challenged. My pride is still recovering from both of those "oops" moments. 

The first day I arrived was naturally exhausting as hell and full of multiple trips to the airport for baggage and countless hours walking around when all I really wanted to do was sleep and recover from the shock of this beautiful city. The second day was just what I needed, though. After situating ourselves at our beautiful apartment, overlooking a quaint walking street full of multiple café’s and shoppe’s (yes there is a spa right below my apartment), my roommates and I decided to take a walk down to Genova’s equivalent of a boardwalk. The beach was absolutely wonderful, but I wouldn't be abroad if I didn't encounter at least a small amount of culture shock (not including the toilet).

Previous to this trip, I knew there were nude beaches in Europe. That I knew. But I was under the impression that if you wanted to be nude you had to go to a certain beach sectioned off from the rest of society. I found out very quickly that every beach in Europe is a nude beach if you want it to be! And this statement continues to be affirmed every time I find myself at a beach! I don't think I've ever experienced secondhand embarrassment as much as I did that first day. Although, I will say, in a sense, when I take away my American imprinted societal norms, it makes sense. Who wants bathing suit tan lines?! Quite honestly, though, I was more taken aback by the beauty of the water than anything else I saw or experienced that first day. It was such a deep blue, almost an indigo color, that you can see clear to the bottom. Now this was like nothing I've ever experienced before.

We also had our first taste of Italian sweets that day, the granita. Granita is essentially Italian ice, only much better than anything Rita’s could ever come up with! On top of this delicious ice, made only with ice and fruit, is rich cream called pana. Perfectly light and airy. The food I've eaten thus far is in a tight competition to the scenery for being my favorite part of Italy. I can't decide which I like more! 

There is so much that has happened over the course of the past week and a half and I can't believe it's taken me this long to update you all on my first experience, but things are certainly flying by here! The one thing I've taken away from being here so far is that I want to travel more. There are so many places I want to go and experiences I want to live. I feel as if this small taste of travel is fueling me for a lifetime of further travels, which is just what I want for my life!

Okay, okay, before I get too sappy, I should probably end this extremely late first impressions post. Hopefully with the wifi back up and my homework somewhat manageable (yes, I am actually studying while I am studying abroad), I will be able to update you more often. There is so much going on and so much I want to talk about! As always, don't forget to subscribe for more updates on my travels abroad and check out my Instagram where I am much better at updating the world on the beautiful pictures I am taking. :) 

 p.s. yes, my Google has automatically reset in Italian.  Whoa.

Until next time,

xoxo,