Saturday, June 4

I am typing this blog on the flight from Rome to Chicago but won't post it until I have Internet access. We are less than an hour from landing and this flight has been 100% more comfortable than the shorter one from New York to London at the beginning of the trip. On that flight I was squished between 2 other people with no leg room. And I was asleep at both times they served food. This flight I've been by the window with leg room and comfortable. The food wasn't too bad either, the lunch was really filling.

What an incredible adventure my Italy trip has been. After the horrible experience getting there, I tried to not think about it and enjoy myself throughly while taking in the sounds, smells, scenery, and learn from everything. Some of my favorite highlights were:

Riding a bike on the wall in Lucca
Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Riding the water taxi in Venice (it wasn't a gondola but close)
Seeing all the history in Rome
Hiking the Cinque Terre and stepping into the sea
Eating some of the best chocolate I've ever had
Walking to get vanilla gelato almost every night, until we ate all of it and they ran out
Seeing the city of Florence from a few of the highest points
Drinking delicious wine at one of the most beautiful wineries I've seen
Seeing the process of making cheese
Eating delicious fresh pasta
Cooking and eating a variety of foods in cooking class
Tasting aged balsamic vinegar (6, 12, and 25 years)
Being flirted with by an Italian guy my age (hey, it was flattering!)
Trying new foods I had never eaten and never heard of
Exploring Florence and actually starting to kinda know my way around