The 14 Days of Vacation

Vacation. Most dictionaries define it as “leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure”. Very true, right? As I sit here in my apartment in Italy, I can see numerous Americans walking by with their maps, enjoying the grandiosity of the Duomo while indulging in a heaping cone of gelato. The sad part is…why do we have to have to specify that pleasure has to be away from work? I don’t mean that everyday at work should be a vacation, of course, though that would be nothing short of fantastic. I mean that while I’m sitting here watching these people then looking at the milieu around them, there’s a huge clash of cultures. Even on vacation, Americans are revolving around schedules and time tables, getting up early just to rush from place to place. When you turn to the Italians you see the complete opposite. No one is ever anxiously rushing to get anywhere. Naturally, Americans see this extra time it takes to get places or get something done wasted time. Think of all you could do with those wasted 5 minutes! Wasted? Ha! To the Italians this is leisure time! They aren’t always so tense and uptight, worried about what comes next- they actually enjoy their bike ride to work, they enjoy spending an extra 20 minutes baking to make the pastry just right. The Italian culture got it right.  They maintain this laid back lifestyle where they keep what really matters in perspective. Getting up early to go to work? I don’t think so. If you ever an Italian store open before 9am, that’d be the day. Italians enjoy EVERY day to the fullest. They take time to themselves, they are always surrounded by friends, they actually take the time to sit down with their friends and family ENJOY their meals with a nice glass of wine (and if you haven’t noticed, dinners in Italy are quite the production- antipasti, primi piatti, secondi piatti, dolce, lemoncello….). So why aren’t Americans more like this? Perhaps on your next vacation to Italy you can learn a little something from the Italians- you don’t have to pencil in 14 days every year for your own “pleasure time”. All you have to do is take the time to notice those small things that give you pleasure in your everyday life and embrace them.

And I promise you, it’ll add up to more than 14 days worth.

 

Money Matters

Ah, the Amalfi Coast. It’s one of the most beautiful collections of coastlines in the world. Of course, that means tourism, and lots of it, which unfortunately also means it can be a bit pricey. But you don’t have to break the bank while you’re there! After my many visits there, I’ve come up with some money saving tips that’ll keep some of those precious euros in your pocket.

-Don’t do it on your own: If you’re a student, I of course recommend you travel with Bus2alps. Not only is it the #1 student travel company in Europe, they get discounts just about everywhere and use the cheapest forms of travel to help make the dream of going to the Amalfi Coast a reality.

-Lace up your walking shoes: You can save a good bit of money by walking instead of taking cabs or other forms of transportation- and it’s definitely doable! Even if you want to go to the beach, just stick your flip flops in your bag. So if you venture up to the top of Capri, take the stairs back down to the port instead of taking a cab. If you’re in the middle of Sorrento, pull out that map and walk back to your hotel. I personally always do this because you also get to enjoy all the sights of what places have to offer- and isn’t that why you go in the first place?

-Pizza Pie, that’s amore: Instead of going to those overly crowded restaurants, look for smaller places that serve pizza’s and paninis. Not only will this save you money, but you might be surprised at amazing these places really are. In Positano, one of the biggest tourist beach attractions in Amalfi, skip out on that overpriced seaside meal. You can get some of the best sandwiches in Italy at a little shop called Vini & Panini. They have just about every kind of meat, cheese, and topping you could want and MAN are they good. Because they’re so big, you can even split them with someone else and still be stuffed or save half for a snack or dinner later. Not bad, huh?

-Use the free beach: If you use the free beaches in Italy, it’s not like you’re slumming it up. I mean, look where you are! Yes, you might not have a nice chair and umbrella, but as long as you bring a towel or two why would you need one? Enjoy the black sand, it’s not everyday you get to see something like that. If you’re getting too hot being in the sun, just go sit in the shade for a while or take a dip in the crystal blue water.

-Bring sunscreen from home: Buying sunscreen at the beach in Amalfi is one of the easiest ways to get ripped off. 20 euro for sunscreen?? HA, I don’t think so. If you buy it before you come you can definitely save a pretty penny.

-Bring a water bottle: It’s not that water’s expensive per say, but bringing your own bottle or recycling the same one for a day can save you a few euros here and there. They have water fountains at the bottom of Capri where you can fill up, and you can just fill up in the sink of most bathrooms (the tap water is safe in Italy, I promise!).

These are all small things, but putting them all together can really help out if you’re on a tight budget, without having to compromise on anything on your trip. Amalfi is truly beautiful, but it doesn’t have to only be for the rich and the famous

Travel Tip: The Name Game

Let’s be real. Traveling is stressful. Buying tickets, pushing your way through train stations and airports, trying to read signs that are in another language….that can all be overwhelming. Once you get to your destination you want to RELAX, see the sights, eat some great food, and then go home. One thing that I’ve noticed that people miss out on is really experiencing their destination.

“But all that is experiencing the destination?” I’m sure you’re thinking- but what I mean is you have to experience the people as well. The people that live and work in these places are half of what make them what they are. They exemplify the culture that you observe and are therefore full of insight and mentalities that you may not expect. Their ways of life are completely different from ours so asking them about who they are and their lives will give you a much greater understanding of where you are. Gaining this insight will help you to truly and fully appreciate where you are on a much deeper level than returning home with just a camera full of pictures. Exploring the people as well as the place means you got the most out of your travels. So why not? Go on, strike up a conversation with the man selling you gelato next time, you may be pleasantly surprised

#Whymyjobisbetterthanyours

But really. Going to the Amalfi Coast. Yeah. That’s what I did this weekend for work. I guess you could call it a business trip of sorts?….

Of course it started with the traveling part to GET to Positano. Normally not fun, being tall I hate being cramped up in small spaces for long periods of time. But a nice cozy bus and Wedding Crashers? I think I can handle that- especially with the contagious laughter that spread with just about everything that came out of Vince Vaughn’s mouth.

Of course, running on 2 hours of sleep isn’t really my strong point…but I think going on a boat tour of Capri is more than worth it. We were so lucky to have a nice sunny 85 degree day. Sitting on a boat with gorgeous views and a nice breeze? Can’t beat it. Even the chair lift up to Anticapri is hypnotic. I’ve never felt so relaxed in my life. No matter how many times I do it, all the stress melts away as I ride up the mountain and gaze off into the endless oceans spotted with Islands off in the distance.

Hey, I’m still in college along with everyone else on our trip- so obviously a celebration was in order. After pushing our way through the cloud of young Italian men waiting to prey on American girls heading into English Inn, then dance party started. I still have Get Outta Your Mind stuck in my head….

Ooooh but the best was yet to come- our beach day on the gorgeous beach of Positano. Though the black rocky sand isn’t exactly as comfortable as my Serta mattress, I still had the most amazingly relaxing day. When we’d get too hot we’d run into the cool, crystal blue water for a dip then head back to our towels to bronze up. The day would not be complete without the cliff jumping boat tour- AH stunning. Turning around and seeing Positano from the water has to be my favorite view of all time. The Jurassic Park-like cliffs mixed with the colorful houses and flowers built into the cliff along the beach has to be one of the most stunning juxtaposition of images you’ll ever see. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

That night we said goodnight to Sorento, where we stayed, with a sunset buffet on the rooftop of Seven Hostel. Again, a celebration was in order which started with the band playing at the bar downstairs and the guides breaking it down on the dance floor…priceless.

Finishing off the trip to Pompeii to see the ruins of the ancient city was a great way to end such an amazing weekend (especially the part where I stuffed myself full of delicous pizza and gelato from Pompeii Pizza…)

What can I say. THAT is why my job is better than yours. And I’m loving every minute of it

Earthquakes, train strikes, and rain- nice try, Italy, what else ya got?

Gotta love days when you wake up to a frantic skype call from you’re parents wondering if you were in an earthquake and seeing if you were alive…..yes, Dad, I answered you on skype, I think it’s safe to assume that I survived. To be quite frank, I didn’t feel a thing. Strike 1 Italy, I’m still going to Cinque Terre. Somehow I make it out of my bed and drag myself full-zombie style to the train station to meet up with our group (in my defense, when the sun isn’t up yet, it’s dark, it’s cold, it’s rainy = sleep). No matter, 30 other lovely people and I make it to the train station to depart for Cinque Terre.  The clouds were not so welcoming upon our arrival, looking like they were about to let us have it at any second. It held off for a while but once it started, it decided to play games. 5 minutes of rain, 10 minutes of clear, 12 minutes of rain, 8 minutes of fog- hey, at least I got a great arm work out from opening and closing my umbrella. Luckily after a few train rides we found shelter in a cute little Italian restaurant in Vernazza. We drank our fill of amazing red and white wine whilst stuffing our faces full of bread and pesto pasta. Delicious. We decided the rain wouldn’t stop us from heading to the beach so we hiked back up to the train platform for the next bus to Monterosso. Waiting…..waiting…..shivering…..waiting…..hm. Happy joy, there’s a train strike. We just stand by and watch as the train races back and forth, headed by an apparently very angry driver. Think that’s going to phase us? HA, nope. We just huddle up to keep warm and stay dry, making a giant covering by combining our umbrellas and passing the time laughing about how ridiculous we’ll look in all the pictures. When we finally make it to the beach, we switch out the original plan of drinking margaritas with drinking hot chocolate. Best decision of my life- it was the most incredible hot chocolate I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. Rich and creamy with a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top (yeah, cue the mouth watering). After our lovely snack break, it was time to head back to the bus and sadly travel back home from the gorgeous candy-colored buildings of Cinque Terre. Though everything that could have gone wrong basically did, I had an amazing time. Good food, high spirits, and great company make any trip worth while. It was definitely a day I’ll never forget- bring on the next trip.

Travel Tip of the Week

Travel Tip of the Week: always find the silver lining.

The problem with travel is, nothing’s perfect. The weather may be complete crap, you may get stuck sitting next to that guy who smells like onions on the train, you may forget your jacket to keep warm….there are so many things that could go wrong. So obviously your trip is ruined, right? WRONG! Find the silver lining! Just because one thing went wrong doesn’t mean the whole trip went wrong! If the weather is awful, you still got to BE there! If you sit next to the guy that smells like onions, you have a funny story to tell later! If you forget you jacket to keep warm, oh hey look at that, perfect opportunity to buy that cute leather jacket you saw in Capri (and really, who else can say they got a leather jacket in Capri? Come on.) There is always a silver lining you just have to find it!

First week in Firenze 2012

Oh my…my, my, my. Sometimes I feel like I’m asleep, I seriously can’t believe I’m back in Florence for the second summer in a row. But actually- someone pinch me, this can’t be my life. I literally have the best job EVER. Why do you ask? Oh don’t worry, I was already planning on telling you. Working for Bux2alps is a dream come true- I get to live in Florence during the week then travel all around Europe with awesome college students during the weekend. Is that real? Yeah, I’m still asking myself that. WAY too good to be true- but oh how true it is. I just went to Cinque Terre with 30 awesome study abroad students yesterday- amazing. Even though it was raining we had a blast.  You really can’t ever be unhappy in such beautiful towns- gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! That’s also not to mention the amazing people: my amazing fellow interns and the students- never a dull moment. If you haven’t been, you HAVE to go.

Needless to say, I’m PUMPED for the summer. Where am I off to this weekend? We shall seeee ………