This past week was the mid-semester break. While it truly feels as though this whole semester is somewhat of a respite from my usual busy academic and extracurricular schedule, I had an entire week without classes. Unlike my traditional fall break, which is typically just two weeks before final exams, my week-long break occurred just after midterms, leaving me with no academic assignments to complete throughout the week. There was something so relaxing about taking a train ride that I didn’t need to study Italian or write a paper.
Unlike my usual weekend trips, my semester break was spent entirely at the Amalfi Coast. Even throughout most weekend trips, I usually end up traveling around quite a bit. It’s pretty uncommon for my friends and I to spend more than one night in the same Airbnb. This allows us to maximize our time, while seeing as much as we can throughout a weekend. This past semester there were only two weekends where I stayed in Florence. I usually depart for weekend trips on Thursday evening and arrive back on Sunday, so it was pretty rare for me to stay in the same place for an entire week. However, remaining in the same location for the entire break was so relaxing and somewhat of a luxury. I especially appreciated not having to unpack and repack each night, no strict itineraries, and lots of time to explore all of the Amalfi Coast with my parents who came to visit.
I had forgotten many of the cultural differences between Italy and America. The relaxed lifestyle, seasonal eating, and even language differences. I had come to gain an appreciation for each of these differences and adjusted to a lifestyle with shifting values. For example, meals in Italy are significantly longer, with several courses. Living with a host family, I have become accustomed to this extensive, yet meaningful tradition. Our last day in Amalfi, I encouraged my parents to share in this ritual. We started the meal with a pasta appetizer: ravioli with a pumpkin sauce. Pasta and risotto are both common appetizers in Italy, unlike in America where pasta is considered a main meal. In addition, Italians eat incredibly seasonally. Unlike the grocery stores in the United States, which import most of the produce from all over the world, Italy utilizes the foods that are in season, and pumpkin is one of those. My host Mom, Giovanna made the most decadent pumpkin soup or zuppa di zucca in Italian. Meals in Italy always taste better since fewer preservatives are utilized when food is in season. After we finished our appetizer, we had seafood and vegetables. Local food is also incredibly important to Italians. It’s also a great idea from a supply chain perspective, as the transportation cost decreases. Since we were staying right on the coast, all of the seafood was magnificent! We ended the meal with profiteroles and a lemon pastry. I loved being able to show my parents the way in which Giovanna and her family share in a meal. I hope to bring these traditions back to America in December.
Besides tasting the local foods of the Amalfi Coast, we explored most of the towns: Positano, Capri, Anacapri, Amalfi, Pompeii, Ravello, Priano, and Sorrento. Each had its own character. In Anacapri we took a chairlift to the top of a mountain and had an incredible view of Capri. In Sorrento my Dad and I took a Pizza making class, which was one of my favorite experiences! It was incredibly informative. We learned about the types of flour, yeast, and ways to cook pizza. Similar to challah, the type of flour is key. Bread flour has more gluten in it, which adds to the elasticity of the dough, making it much lighter. A good pizza dough rises for four days in the fridge, which ensures that all of the yeast is dead. I guess patience is the key to a good pizza.
All of these towns each shared in their own beauty. It was interesting, as my friends and I often travel to places that are less common and a bit harder to visit. However, the Amalfi Coast is the complete opposite. During its peak season, the coastal towns are filled with tourists from around the world. Yet, there’s a reason that so many people desire to see this space. When you enter the Amalfi Coast you are greeted by winding roads with steep drops to the sea. It’s uncomfortable for many. However, after visiting the Dolomites and traveling on roads, which truly should be one way, yet no one bothered to label them as such, I gained a level of ease in this space that once felt so incredibly uncomfortable. It often takes a level of discomfort to be welcomed into a new space of beauty.
One of my favorite professors at Whitman mentioned his thoughts on nervousness during my freshman orientation, and it truly changed my outlook, especially while living abroad. He talked about how being nervous is not necessarily bad. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, yet if you look back to any of your greatest accomplishments or discoveries, you were most likely nervous prior. Therefore, rather than trying to avoid the places that make us nervous, look at the correlation between your own discoveries and nervousness. The places, people, smells, and sights, that would have bothered me three months ago, no longer give me a feeling of discomfort, but rather an excitement of what can be discovered. After all, the winding roads that line the Amalfi Coast, lead to the sheer majestic quality of the mountains and sea beside one another. Only at this moment, you realize that you are being welcomed into one of the most beautiful places on earth.
As I leave Amalfi and head back to my home in Florence, I am excited for the remainder of the semester. Trips to Matera, Puglia, Salzburg, Vienna, Munich, Pisa, Lucca, Venice, and Prague await. Rather than being nervous about all of the new cultural experiences, I can’t wait to see what each of these locations has to offer!