I Moved to Italy...Again

I studied abroad Spring 2022, and it was the time of my life. I had no real idea of what I was getting myself into. I’d never taken a single Italian language course in my life, had never really used public transportation anywhere, and had always had a dryer for laundry. 

I had no idea what I was getting into. 

I loved it so much I sought out another opportunity to go back. And I'm here now.

Overly romanticizing life is my specialty. There was this vision in my head of walking across Ponte Vecchio with a gelato in one hand and my hot boyfriend in the other. I’d be in Florence with the love of my life and stuffing myself with fresh pasta and pizza. There’s be spa nights and weekend trips. Vintage markets and beautiful views around every corner. 

Unfortunately, I forgot about all the non-Romantic parts about moving to Europe. The stress of packing up my entire apartment and stuffing all my belongings into boxes was almost too much to bear. Saying good-bye to all of my friends and family broke my heart. Who knows if they will be there when I get back? The 26 hour travel time from start to finish meant feeling stinky, being hungry, not sleeping and having a kink in my back that just won’t go away. Having to haul over 100 lbs of weight up 4 flights of stairs to find myself in an apartment with spotty wifi and little insulation. I won’t lie to you: it’s rough. 

But because I was able to get through every single one of the not-so-picture-perfect parts, I’m here now. I don’t think people talk about these parts enough. We all love to flash our photoshoots on Instagram. But what about the jet lag? 

Either way, I’m trying to give myself grace when my life isn’t like the Instagram stories I see every day. That’s so important. 

Take today for example: I woke up at 9:30AM which is pretty late. I walked to the market for a few hours then came home and haven’t really left my bedroom since. Except to go grab some cookies from the kitchen…and later some milk. 

And that’s totally okay. Now, don’t think I’ll be doing this every single day. But today was my day off. And I certainly deserved it. 

But now that I’ve been here for almost two weeks, let me share my initial insights:

• The transition from an American diet to a European one is NOT easy. My body was so used to the overly processed meals in the United States that it’s definitely taking some adjusting. 

• I forgot how cold it gets. Especially if you’re comparing it with Arizona. We hit 80 degrees Fahrenheit in Scottsdale in DECEMBER.

• Not having an efficient dryer and heating system is HARD. I have to make sure I do my laundry before I run out of clean socks and underwear. I also have to wear socks and a sweatshirt to sleep. 

• I should’ve brought a tennis ball to roll out my feet. Walking 20K+ steps a day is really getting to me.

• I NEED TO SLEEP. Going off of 4-6 hours of sleep is not sustainable. I don’t need to say “yes” every single time my friends invite me for a night out. I need to take care of myself and my body first.