When life gives you lemons… make limoncello!

I’m writing this blog post as I approach the home stretch of my 12-hour commute from Sorrento to Venice on a major Italian holiday. You may be asking yourself, why would anyone try to travel 500 miles during one of the busiest travel days of the year? Well, you’ve probably guessed it right- once again, I didn’t do my research. Despite the three trains I’ve transferred to and the many delays on the journey, nothing could spoil the allure of Italy or the fact that after exactly 1 month, 5 days, 20 hours, and 6 minutes since I left home sweet home, my parents finally made the 4,000+ mile trip from Philadelphia to Italy to take me on an adventure of a lifetime. You don’t have to tell me… they’re the best parents in the world, I already know!

We started our journey in the Rome FCU airport on Saturday, where we spent three beautiful days in the heart of Rome’s historical district. From the Colosseum, to the Vatican, to a food tour and more, we explored everything Rome has to offer, including three of its many delicious gelaterias and the original Alfredo’s. To no surprise, the food was much better than the fish and chips or bean stews that are typical of English cuisine.

We said our goodbyes to the eternal city on Tuesday and eagerly made our way to the quaint town of Sorrento, where we explored the beautiful seaports and villas. On Wednesday, we booked a boat tour along the Amalfi coast and visited the islands of Amalfi and Positano. We explored the shops along the main squares, went snorkeling in the clear, blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and even watched the sun set over the beautiful mountain range on our ride home.  To end such a perfect day, we toasted over a shot of homemade limoncello with the lovely German, Canadian, Australian and American friends that we met on the boat.

We woke up early this morning to begin the trek to our final destination: Venice. As I mentioned before, we’ve spent nearly 12 hours in transit, but even this uncomfortable train seat and the pitter-patter of the raindrops outside could not ruin my mood! Just as the old Italian saying goes: when life gives you lemons… make limoncello!  Sure, a vacation in Italy is enough to put a smile on my face, but for me, it’s much more than that. Spending a week with my parents was the perfect cure to my homesickness and just the comfort I needed before heading into midterms next week! Although I am dreading saying goodbye to them once again, I am excited to spend our final day in Venice tomorrow and am grateful to have experienced Italy with my best friends by my side.