Living Life Slower In Italy

If you would have told me three years ago I would be living in Italy for two months to pursue modeling, I wouldn't have believed it. This is my first time ever leaving the country, and it is better than anything I could have ever expected. The coffee is the best I have ever had, the shopping is the most unique I’ve ever seen, and the culture has opened my eyes to a new way of living.

Italy has introduced me to something I have been missing in my life: the need to constantly try and experience new things. I’m sure the longer you are here, the less and less there is to see. But in all of the places I have lived, I got stuck in a continuous routine of the same coffee shop every day, the same meals, and the same forms of entertainment. Here, I have been forced to go outside of my comfort zone. I am blessed to be able to try new things, be tired and exhausted from walking miles and miles every day, but still find enjoyment in the views and in learning a new language.

I do receive a giggle here and there for my accent and the way I pronounce my words, but overall the effort is appreciated. My new favorite word is allora. I wish I could tell you what it means, but there is no direct translation to English. I think of it as similar to “um” or “like.” I thrive on meeting new people every day, going to castings, feeling the nerves and then having them go away, trying a new food that I never thought I would like. It’s a new kind of living on the edge for me, and I am loving every second of it. Sundays are my favorite here. They are quiet, and most shops are closed. Sundays have become my designated “trying different cafes day... all day”, although I do go to cafes every day either way.

Feeling scared is normal, but understanding that it’s because something is unfamiliar, and not because you are incapable, is exactly what I have realized with my time here so far. This is my little update for my first few weeks here. Thanks for reading, ciao.