After long anticipation and a grueling school year, the day has finally arrived for the plus3 Italy trip to begin. This initial day was met with mixed emotions from the excitement looming in the future contrasted by the shear exhaustion of all participants from the long days of travel with minimal sleep. From the moment we arrived it was evident even from the bus to the hotel that we were in a new cultural climate. From sprawling landscapes and tiled roofs to sustainable, environmentally-friendly skyscrapers it was clear we were not in the United States. Also, later in the day as we walked through Milan, the most striking differences to the traditional American cities began to appear with the shear amount of designated green spaces, bike traffic, and multi-lane intersections for cars that seemed chaotic.

From our first meals in Italy, it also became apparent that what is considered “Italian” in the US differs tremendous from what true Italian cuisine is. From the cured meat starters, traditional (almost Bolognese) style lasagna, Italian sorbet, and true Neapolitan pizza, everything in America is nothing but imitation that doesn’t do the food true justice. They are extremely filling dishes all heavy in carbs, but well worth it in every way with their uniqueness to only Italy. Understandably, with such heavy meals and exhaustion from travel lots of rest was needed today, so a perfectly timed 3 hour nap filled much of the afternoon and rejuvenated me to the point of being able to think clearly enough to write this blog post and recap upon the day.