I spent a portion of this past summer in Italy, hopping from one city to another. I was lucky enough to have my dad with me on the trip, so I wasn’t on my own getting lost every day. We tackled Venice, Pisa, Florence, and Rome. Each city held its own personality and own unique sense. Venice truly was the city of love–you’re surrounded by gondolas, canals, small bridges, and sights so beautiful that no camera will ever be able to capture. In Venice, there are laws prohibiting any kind of transportation, such as cars, bikes, mopeds, so exploring on our feet made it feel a lot easier to handle than some of the bigger cities. Our trip to Pisa was a quick in-and-out excursion; we saw the leaning tower, and that was pretty much it. Pisa has one small square to walk around and beyond that, the only thing that’ll catch your eye will be the Chanel and Michael Kors bags men are selling on the streets for 25 euro. Florence was full of great views of the city and their food was to die for. Rome made Boston feel small, in the most beautiful way. The number of sites to see in each city was overwhelming. Luckily, we had plenty of time to explore.
It was of course an amazing experience. My feet resented me from all the walking I put them through, but my eyes begged to see more. Each day I forced my feet out of bed to head out into these cities, trying new cafés, new meals, with new wines to accompany each. Passing through the narrow streets filled with tiny cars lined up on each side of the road had me feeling car sick the second I stepped into each Uber. They don’t have speed limits, at least not ones that are enforced, so these cars have no problem with going 70 mph on a pedestrian-filled street. The lifestyle in Europe is so unique, the easiest way to compare it would be to an upside-down New York City. The amount of people, cultures, languages, religions, customs, etc. that we crossed paths with is unlike anything I have ever experienced. You learn to be slow when you speak, to make sure whoever you’re talking to is of the same native tongue–or if you’re lucky, at the least, familiar. 
Visiting Italy in August was somewhat of a bold move on my part, I will admit. The number of tourists, myself included, was an experience in itself. The amount of street vendors that reside there makes Faneuil Hall look heavenly. These men will shove something in your hand and demand you pay for it. Any form of interaction you may take part in, even something as small as eye contact, leaves you vulnerable to be harassed for cash. However, I never once had a problem with stealing or pickpocketing, but that may be due to the fact I decided against wearing my “I heart Rome” t-shirt while out in public.
When people ask me how my trip was my response is always the same, without hesitation: “crazy.” And when they ask if I would do it again, I tell them, “Tomorrow.”