The end is drawing near, and I don’t like it one bit. According to Delta.com my departure is now in 11 days and that’s definitely 11 days too soon. I have had the best time of my life and met so many great people, it’s going to be hard going back the US and trying to re-adjust to everything that I left behind. Of course, I miss everyone at home and I can’t wait to see you all, but I just wish I could bring you all here instead. Italy has been more than anything I had ever expected, and definitely in a good way. I have truly received a gift with this opportunity and I’m glad I was able to take full advantage of it.
I had a sort of bucket list of things to see and do in Italy and in Europe while I was here, and one of the last things on my Italy list was to see the Italian Alps. Yes, the beaches are nice and the countryside is beautiful, but I’m definitely a mountain man at heart. Give me some mountains, a backpack, a tent, and some trails and I’ll be good to go.
Into the Alps!
Goglio, Italy
This past weekend I was able to fulfill that desire. Some friends and I rented cars and drove all the way to the Italian Alps for a night of camping. It was, without a doubt, the best decision I’ve made since I’ve been here. I’ve been a little tight on funds the past few weeks, but my splurge on this trip was definitely worth the earful I’ll get from my parents when I get back.
The Guys
Riale, Italy
The trail to Switzerland
Look how blue the glacier water is!
We hiked through two national parks on our adventure and camped out on the side of a mountain. The whole experience was just unreal! I had so much fun hiking around in the mountains and navigating the narrow, twisting alpine roads. At one point we found a glacial lake at the top of some mountains and we were only 3 km from the Swiss border.
View of the mountains from out campsite
We camped out for just the one night and then headed back to Florence on Sunday for the Fiorentina vs. Udinese soccer game. We made it just in time and what a great match it turned out to be. Fiorentina won 5-2 and we had fun singing watching the Italians sing the Fiorentina song and celebrate a much needed victory.
This week I’ve had papers due and I have a final exam tomorrow. It’s so weird to think that the end is so near. This weekend I think I will be taking my roommate back to Cinque Terre on Friday and then maybe I’ll celebrate my last weekend in Florence by renting a bike for a day or two. I love this country and I love this culture (minus the part about not dryers) and I’ll go ahead and apologize in advance for any reverse culture shock symptoms that I exhibit when I get home.
Ciao for now!
Look for at least one more update of my Italian Spring Adventure before my return the states.
So gorgeous! I am incredibly jealous!! I'm sure you wish you could stay longer. Did you experience culture shock in Italy? Do you think you'll experience reverse culture shock when you come back to the States?
ReplyDeleteAh, I'm dumb. Somehow I missed you saying you will in that last bit.
ReplyDeletehaha it's ok. I didn't really experience that much culture shock on the way over, I think it was just because I came into the whole experience so open-minded, but I can definitely see myself having major culture shock when I go back. I think I'll enjoy the US for the first week or 2 and then start getting frustrated with everything after that.
ReplyDeletemountain man ftw
ReplyDeleteI'm coming with you next time.
ReplyDelete