Love-Hate Relationship With Italy

As I’m writing this, I’ve got just one month left. It’s crazy to think this has been my life for the past few months. Traveling on weekends, running on little sleep, immersing myself in different cultures and languages, trying new foods, making new friends, having one-on-one classes, pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and so much more. This chaos has now become my new normal.

This past weekend, I visited Venice, Italy! We couldn’t have gotten luckier with both the weather and the smaller crowds—it was so peaceful. I left early Friday morning, around 4 a.m., running on two hours of sleep because I had been out the night before for a friend’s birthday. We arrived in Italy around midday, headed straight to our Airbnb to freshen up, and then set out to conquer Venice!

We took a train to the main island, and I was amazed to discover that there were hardly any cars there—everyone gets around on foot or by boat. We spent the afternoon exploring, wandering through small alleys and over charming bridges.

For aperitivo, we found a cute little restaurant where we ordered a cheese tray and Aperol spritzes. Sitting outside, sipping our drinks, and watching the world go by was such a quintessential Venetian experience.

Afterward, we went to dinner, shared a bottle of red wine, and I had carbonara—absolutely delicious. At both places, they brought us limoncello shots with our bill, which we realized was a way of saying thank you.

After dinner, we walked around and stumbled upon the cutest little spot where an elderly man was singing and playing music. We sat by the canal, listening to him while the waiters brought us a bowl of nuts. It was such a special, relaxing evening.

On Saturday, we started the day at a café for breakfast. We couldn’t help but laugh when we ordered coffee with alternative milk, and they brought us a separate cup of steamed milk alongside the coffee. From there, we headed back to the main island and took a taxi boat to Murano, a smaller island famous for its glasswork.

Visiting Murano was the best recommendation we could have gotten—there were almost no tourists, and the island was stunning.

We explored the glass museum (I’ll share some favorite pieces below), browsed shops, and picked up a few souvenirs.

For aperitivo, we had pizza and Aperol spritzes again. It was so nice to relax without a packed itinerary for once. That evening, we tried one of those “pasta in a box” places we’d seen all over TikTok. You pick your noodle type, sauce, and toppings, and they serve it in a takeout box. My first few bites were delicious, but I saved the rest for later since I had just eaten pizza. My friend, however, devoured hers—and loved every bite.

On our way back to the Airbnb, we passed a piercing shop. My friend jokingly said, “Why don’t you get a piercing?” We’d been talking earlier about how I’d always thought about it, so I figured, why not? I ended up getting a second ear piercing, and I actually love it.

We ended the night with gelato, and I finished the rest of my pasta before bed.

Unfortunately, around midnight, my friend started feeling sick, and a few hours later, I wasn’t feeling great either. We spent the rest of the night taking turns in the bathroom—what a bonding experience! That pasta was definitely not worth the TikTok hype.

Sunday was rough. We were still really sick and barely left the bathroom, but we had to check out of our Airbnb. We ended up getting a hotel room and spent the entire day there. It’s going to be a long time before I can look at pasta again. It was such a bummer because we had planned to go on a gondola ride. To top it off, my flight kept getting delayed, and I didn’t make it back to my room until 4 a.m. All I wanted was to be in my own bed.

So, that was Venice—my last trip outside of England. I think I’m ready to take it easy on the weekend travels for now. The term is nearing its end, and assignments are starting to pile up. While I don’t have any exams, I do have several papers and projects to complete.

This week, I also saw Othello, the play by Shakespeare, in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon! While it was a long one, I really enjoyed it.

Can’t wait to share more with you next week!

Much love,

Isa