I got back from Italy this past weekend and friends have been asking me, "How did it go?" Surprisingly well provided that Mercury was in retrograde for half the trip LOL.
"How do I feel?" Relieved and at peace cuz it was 99.9% drama-free, plus no jet lag, yay!
"What did you do?" So much! And there's so many highlights...my favorite part though? Finally getting to see where Angelo is from <3
When I say Angelo is Italian, people usually assume Italian-American but he was born and raised in Modena, arguably one of the food capitals of the world, so basically as Italian as they get LOL.
He's SO Italian that the only time he’s ever yelled at me was when I put olive oil in the pasta water (THEY DON’T DO THAT)!
We’ve been together for almost four years (since September 5th, 2020) and before we met, I had already been to Italy twice.
But before this trip, people loved to ask if Angelo and I had travelled to Italy together yet...
Cuz naturally that's what anyone would do if their partner was from one of the most romantic countries in the world...ooooo lol...slight eye roll haha.
Until this summer, my answer was no but that it would happen when it was meant to.
I also wasn't desperate cuz my Italian cherry popped a while ago (omg I wrote this out then realized the double meaning but I kinda wanna keep it in hahahaha)!
And for the first two years we were together, it wasn’t ideal to go cuz pandemic. After that, there were weddings, other family stuff, and travel plans that had been delayed or backed up so Italy wasn't a priority.
Plus he goes twice a year: once in July for his birthday and once in December for Christmas so if it's not July, then it has to be the next year cuz I spend the holidays with my family.
But I think the slight complications made the wait that much more special.
This was my third time in Italy and my first time seeing his childhood home (there's a soccer field right across from it...so Italian).
It was my first time being a passenger in his cute little white Mercedes and riding by his side in his native country (we drove by so many pear trees and grape vines!)
And it was my first time traveling to Italy with my parents (or second if you count the time they were there in December 1991 when I was still in my mother's womb...maybe that's why I love pasta haha).
Because I know the criteria of what to look for in an Italian restaurant (thanks Angelo!), we had out-of-this-world delicious food.
My mom even said she had the top two pastas of her life while we were there! My dad might've felt the same way but he's not as enthusiastic as me or my mom when it comes to taste LOL.
Dozens of times she said, "Exquisito!", after a meal, which means exquisite in Spanish (I feel like that translation is obvious but better safe than sorry).
Speaking of translation, my Italian was actually way better than I thought it was gonna be!
Full-on conversations with Roman taxi drivers, translating for Angelo's parents (mostly his mom who speaks very much and very quickly lol), and understanding almost everything...score!
To be honest, I could've been even better. I'm a language sponge and Angelo's parents talk to him almost every day so most of it was through osmosis, not intentional learning LOL.
But I'm getting side-tracked, back to the rundown...thank you to Angelo and his family for showing us around and for welcoming us with open arms <3
From touring a traditional balsamic vinegar maker or 'acetaia' in Modena to visiting Lago di Garda to savoring pasta in Mantova to finally fulfilling my Olive Garden girl dreams by seeing the leaning tower of Pisa, it was magic.
After a week in Rome with my fam bam then a week in Modena with both of our fam bams, I'm feeling happy, fulfilled, and still dreaming of the sweetest, juiciest peach that I've ever had!
Just because I'm not in Italy anymore doesn't mean I can't integrate this 'dolce vita' or sweet life energy into my day-to-day, right? Right!
If you wanna amp up those Italian-inspired vibes with me, you're gonna love this video :)
In it, I share...
- The magic of 'il dolce far niente' and what it means.
- Four ways to embody 'dolce vita' energy in your day-to-day.
- Two questions to help you infuse the charm of Italy into your lifestyle.
Watch it on YouTube so you can feel as sweet as an Italian peach!
Love and hugs,
Kimberly
P.s. Angelo just told me that this video is one of the very few that he's gonna watch entirely LOL. Wanna join him? Go here to watch it <3
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