Home Sweet Home

I promise I’m still alive, y’all. After an absolutely incredible 2.5 weeks of traveling, I’m back in the swing of things! Well, sort of…

Our 2.5 weeks in Italy were nothing short of magical, but the past week at home has been the total opposite. I got so sick on our flight back from Rome, and still haven’t fully recovered. I’ll spare you the details, but I’ve never been so sick in my entire life.  We were supposed to fly back to OKC last Friday, but because I was so sick we had to stay in Charlotte, NC, until I somewhat recovered. Oh gosh, it was terrible. I just started feeling close to normal yesterday. It’s been a heck of week!

Enough about that, let’s talk about the fun stuff!

We had the BEST time exploring Italy!

We started in Venice.We strolled the Grand Canal, explored St. Mark’s square, and got our first taste of real Italian food.

Then we moved to Bellagio on Lake Como…

Bellagio is a charming little town nestled in the middle of the Alps.We visited the gardens, rented a boat, and found our future summer home right next door to George Clooney’s.

Then we made our way to Lucca…

We rode bikes around the medieval wall that surrounds the city, climbed the bell towers, and quickly realized why Tuscan food is Italy’s finest. Soooo good.

Then over to Florence…

We climbed The Duomo, got lost for hours in the Uffizi, and visited Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia.

Then down to Pompeii…

We spent our entire time in the archeological site. It’s an eery feeling walking through the streets of old Pompeii with Vesuvius looming in the background.

Then back up to Rome…

We got in all the tourist sites – Colosseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountian, and The Vatican.
We were even lucky enough to spend an evening with one of The Carnivore’s business contacts. Valentino has lived in Rome for 32 years, so he gave us a real Roman tour. He showed us all the cool spots, all the hidden gems.WHAT. A. TRIP.

And the craziest part? I didn’t work out a single day. I mean, aside from the miles upon miles we were walking everyday.

I fully enjoyed every second of our trip. I ate bread, pasta, or pizza everyday.

Anytime a gelateria claimed to have Italy’s best gelato – I had to try it! Duh. And let me tell you, according to my palette, San Crispino in Rome is in fact Italy’s best gelato.

The people are friendly, the drivers are crazy, the coffee is strong, and the country is beautiful.

A few of our favorite observations: The Italians love puppies, cigarettes, and Nutella – I’ve never seen so much Nutella. The dinners are long (3 hours!), the water comes sparkling, refills aren’t free, and don’t expect to see ice in your glass. Cars are small, hotel rooms are small, and more often than not, you will pay to go to a “public” restroom.

But the history is rich, the architecture is mesmerizing, the food is delicious, the pride they have for their country is undeniable, and I have never seen such beauty in my entire life.

I really can’t do the trip justice with a blog post, or even pictures. If you’ve never seen it in person, I simply can’t explain the scale and magnitude of the country and its sites.

Unfortunately, we are now completely ruined. First thing we noticed when we returned? Our coffee is terrible. Like really, it’s terrible. Whenever my stomach gets back to normal, I plan on finding a coffee that tastes like Italy. Pizza will never be the same and Olive Garden is not Italian food.

Having said all of that, I am so happy to be home. Happy to be back to my schedule, back to my food, back to my bed. The first thing The Carnivore did when we landed in the states was find the nearest burger and sweet tea, and he let that waiter refill his glass until he couldn’t stomach anymore. I will never take space for granted again. Space in my house, my yard, on the road. Space is a beautiful thing. I also don’t think I’ve ever truly appreciated American bathrooms, but really our bathrooms are totally boss.

A vacation for the books, but it feels so good to be home. Now, to get my health back to normal…