Nine weeks have passed now, and I am here in shock, feeling like I just got off my plane ride here. I have traveled throughout my time in Italy. So far I have traveled to many cities throughout my time in Italy: Rome, Lake Como, Venice, Sorrento, Capri, and Lucca. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time traveling and getting to explore every inch of Italy, but traveling every weekend can get tiring, and always am in a feeling of “wow, I can’t wait to go home”. Whenever I say this saying now on my long train rides through the countryside of Italy, I am always referring to Ariccia.

I love going to explore all these major tourist cities but getting to come home to my familiar small town and sit and watch the sunset almost every night is one of my favorite things and makes me fall in love with Ariccia every time I return. Going to the belvedere to watch the gorgeous landscape or sit for Aperitivo at Bar de Chigi and watch the sunset is my new routine of what I call home and is just as exciting as getting to see a new city.

I always catch myself missing some things in America, like my fluffy pillows, my cats, or even my favorite restaurant, but I know the second I get on the bus to the airport to leave my home of Ariccia, I will be missing these past 12 weeks like no other and will be missing so many things of my new home like my sunsets in Ariccia.

With love from Ariccia,

Grace Canepari