140 days in Italy

My name is Kaysie, I study Architecture and Italian at the University of Oregon, and this is what I did with 140 days in Italy.

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I love sitting in a train. Sure, you can listen to music everywhere but in a train … I don’t know. The way the nature passes and the thoughts begin to flow without even knowing it … it’s something really special. And I love the feeling. Sometimes I think there’s nothing better than sitting in a train and doing nothing but listen to some really good music that breaks your heart.

Every time I hopped a train in Italy. Simply stunning

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This reminds me so much of a pizzeria we ate at one rainy day in Rome..

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AH I love this! I want to travel when I'm older, so I love love love your blog! xx

Thank you! I had a ton of fun making it and now I can always look back on what I had done while I was abroad. I hope you get the chance to travel because it's such an incredible experience!!

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..and just like that, 140 days had passed.

All of yesterday was spent in airplanes, long delayed flights with trips through customs in between all leading up to finally seeing my parents beautiful faces after 4 and a half months abroad. As of right now, all I can say about my trip is that it's been like living in a dream. I had the time of my life, and now I'm excited to see where my next adventure begins. I can only hope to keep my life as exciting as it has been, worthy of at least one photo a day.

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Day 140: Waking up in Marittima. Gina and I had one last walk down to the water to take photos draw and have our last watermelon granita. Then Giulio’s family and friends came over and prepared a huge epic lunch. We had lasagne and seafood pasta, cheese and crackers, wine and even a gorgeous cake. Then we packed up all of our things and the boys escorted us to the train for Rome. Thank goodness for them because my bag was so heavy I don’t think I could have gotten it up onto the train. When Gina and I got off the train there were a couple of British guys waiting for us with signs with our names on them. My best friend had met them at his hostel and sent them to welcome us. Hayden then showed up at the station with a bottle of champagne and we had one last crazy night out in Rome!! Tomorrow I spend all day in airplanes..

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Day 139: Woke up this morning to pack frantically, this stuff always takes way longer than you’d think! Gina came and made us lunch while I finished up and before I knew it I was all moved out. The apartment looked so sad and empty.. Giulio picked us up and crammed all of our stuff into his car and we were off to Marittima! (where we of course went straight down to the water, our last time in the Adriatic).

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Day 138: This morning we had “Graduation.” A lot of people from class read a little something to the group and I tried my hardest to keep it together while I was reading mine. I’m really going to miss this place. We spent some time with Giulio earlier in the day and said a final goodbye to PierGiuseppe. Gina and I took one last walk through the city center and I did some drawing and took some last photos. Tonight and tomorrow will be spent packing my life away..

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Day 137: Written finals. Pretty sure I did well on them! I took these photos of the love graffiti I walk by every day on my way to class and on the way home. Half of the graffiti here is about love, it’s just wonderful! (One says "I love you even when you go back home," fitting isn't it? And the other means "You're the most beautiful"). We then went out to Porto Cesareo to meet up with our friends again, and came back to Lecce for one last dinner with the group! Pizzas and pasta all around!

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Day 136: Final oral exams today, they went really well! Now all that’s left is studying for our grammar final tomorrow. Then it’s all celebrations, graduation, and saying goodbye. I’m not at all ready..

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Day 135: Today was the last cooking class.. We learned to make gnocchi and then some more orecchiete! I’m really going to miss this..

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Day 134: Caught another bus to Porto Cesareo to hang with the boys again. Then they invited all of us to a pool party at their friend’s house. This is the most exciting summer ever!

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Day 133: I spent all morning sleeping and the evening in the center checking out all the beautiful lights and all of the fair booths! 

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Day 132: Notte della Taranta!! We caught a train to Melpignano to see “the largest traditional music festival in Europe.” It was a night of pizzica and wine! We stayed up until 8am!

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Day 131: The boys took us to San Foca today and we played some volleyball in the water. Tonight was the first night of a huge festival in Lecce but we waited too long to see the lights and they were all turned off. It’s all still so beautiful.

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Day 130: Today was a day of epic naps. (And also my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday Big Sis!!)

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Day 129: After class the boys picked us up and took us to a gorgeous place on the sea where we went cliff jumping! I’ve never jumped from so high before, everyone was watching and cheered for us after. The guys were all very amazed and impressed. Piero said most of his guy friends are too afraid to go as high as I did!

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Day 128: Cucina Italiana! Today we made pasticiotto, a leccese breakfast pastry, eggplant parmesan, fried potato balls. I forgot to take photos of the rest, but these are the pasticiotti! They began setting up for the festival this weekend in the center, lights up in all the streets and this huge piece set up in the main piazza, Sant’Oronzo.