Preparing for food baby number two. Just call it, spring break in Italy.

Six hours between me and Italy-- between me and two and a half weeks of traveling (and eating) my way through 18 days of a spring break unlike any other. 

And so where to begin?

The fight leaves Paris just after 9 tomorrow morning. But the trip begins with the 5 a.m. wake up call for the 5:30 metro in time to get to the 6:15 bus that'll get us to Beauvais Airport. Which, conveniently (as if) located an hour outside of the city and bearing a stark similarity to that of a gas station, is where the 9:25 a.m., Ryanair flight to Rome departs from.

It’ll be 18 days of living out of a bag. And, for the first time, I’ve got it down to a science. It’s one small carry on holding a little under two weeks worth of rolled outfits and piled shoes, all nestled between the stash of necessities. And unlike my trips to Prague and Barcelona, I've, thank goodness, remembered to pack the shower shoes. Absolutely zero chance that my feet are coming anywhere near direct contact to a hostel shower floor for two and half weeks straight. 

I’ve got my fluorescent pink folder ready. Ready with the 20 pages I spent a life savings of two euros printing today, of my research and itinerary, of directions to each hostel and from each airport, train station and museum. Of the must sees and must dos in Rome and Sicily, Florence and Venice, Milan and Como.

This girl doesn’t travel empty handed.

I’ll be in Rome (4 days) and Sicily (4 days) with two friends, continuing on to Florence (3 days) and Venice (3 days) on my own. From there, I'll meet up with another friend, traveling through Milan (2 days) and Lake Como (2 days). It’s the perfect balance of time on my own mixed with time with friends. 

And so two and a half weeks away from the city of romance into a country of pizza and pasta, gelato and gnocchi: finding something to eat is really the worst of my fears.

As for the goals:

• Step 1: Make up sufficiently for a week without bread. Not that I have any doubt that I won’t. It'll all be excuse enough for Passover take two come my return.
• Attempt to keep it together while coming across famous works of art.Though no promise for Rape of the Sabine Woman, a beautiful, mannerist sculpture that’s been my love at first sight since 12^th grade AP Art History. A friend asked me how, out of the millions of pieces the art world has to offer, how could I narrow it to the one? Which, I agree, is a valid question. But there really is something about this piece— the way the figures wrap around, the imprinting of the fingers onto the stone flesh, the movement and tension of the story represented. It’s magnificent.
• Gelato a day= milk a day. Following the formula, a glass of milk a day is healthy, as are daily scoops of gelato. Protein fix: perfect.
• Avoid going bankrupt, while also not stopping myself from fully enjoying the experience.
• Come home with an Italian- Jewish husband. Or better yet, don’t come home. Stay in Italy and elope.
• Remember to bring an extra skirt in my bag to avoid ever having to wear paper clothing to enter a church.  
• Come back still able to speak French. Because two and a half weeks without it should just be seen as practice for the real deal come August.
• Enjoy the freedom of break. My internship starts a week after I return and it’ll be goodbye free time, hello working world.

And so Italy, here I come.

A bientot, Paris.