Did I tell you that...

Our refrigerator looks like this:

Because we cook with this:

Yup, a bunsen burner, 9th grade Biology style.

Part of the reason we chose the hostel was because we would get our own kitchen in our room, plus a communal kitchen. Funny thing is, we got neither! It can be a little inconvenient when we want to cook real things (I'm talking large pots of tomato or bolognese sauce, soups and stews, and MEAT- I haven't eaten meat since I got here!) but maybe it's for the best.

What I mean is- I wanted my experience in Italy to be a 180 of my life back in NY. In NY, I ate out several times a week, spent money on crap, and had an (admittedly) easy home life. And it was good! BUT, I am 22 now, and could (and maybe should) be graduated and with a full-time job and apartment. All of that means that my life maybe shouldn't be as easy anymore. So in Italy, I am trying to use this time to grow up in certain ways, not letting things be so easy. Which means: not always going to the store when I get "bored" of my food, picking and choosing what I spend my money on, and not always giving into my cravings when I need something sweet to eat. And very importantly- learning to live more independently.

I am the first to admit how difficult this new way of living is, but it is totally for the best. America is a country of excess, and for what?! So again, here's to simplifying, slowing down and sipping my cappuccino a little slower, and making some significant changes to bring back home with me.

Ciao!