Ciao Bella

When I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy I had the time of my life. I had all the pasta, wine, and gelato someone could ever want, spending my days traveling and exploring the city.

Craving an adventure, I decided to go on a solo trip to Amalfi, Italy. Let me tell you, Amalfi is not the place to go by yourself. My hotel was a 25-minute walk from the town, up the curviest of roads, with a sidewalk the size of my foot—my size 6.5 foot. Oh and I forgot to mention, you can’t just call a taxi, you have to pre-book them weeks ahead of time. So I thought, what did I get myself into?

After a slight breakdown and quick (not so quick) call to my mom, I decided to brave my way up the hill. Avoiding reckless drivers and lurking strangers, I finally made it to my hotel, only to realize that I would eventually have to go back down the hill unless I wanted to spend the weekend in a cheap, crappy hotel room.

So did I?

That night I went out on the town, eating and shopping my way through the beautiful city of Amalfi. I ended up having an incredible experience exploring on my own. It was definitely a learning experience. My biggest nugget of wisdom: when life gives you lemons, make limoncello.