This week we are featuring Ashley Bornancin, Greenheart Travel’s Teach in a Homestay in Italy program alumnus. Ashley was awarded our 2013 Travel Correspondent scholarship, giving all of us a chance to live vicariously through her inspiring blogs, photos and videos. Back in Los Angeles now and pursuing her filmmaking career, she took some time out of her busy schedule to talk about traveling fearlessly, why it’s up to us to make the choice to pursue adventures and her amazing Sicilian host family during her time abroad.

Q: What first inspired you to travel to Italy, and specifically to tutor a host family in the English language?

My entire family is Italian and I always wanted to learn more about my Italian roots, since both my parents were raised in the states and spoke very little Italian. I had spent the previous summer teaching English to over 100 students in a small town called Stary Sachz, Poland and I absolutely loved it, so when this opportunity to teach English in a homestay in Italy came up, I knew it would be combining my greatest passions; my Italian culture, my love for people, and my love for documenting my experience through media.

Q: How important do you feel experiencing another culture and country was to your personal growth as well as your career aspirations?

I learned so much about myself through this experience, I truly would encourage anyone who can do it, to go ahead and put yourself out there fearlessly. Most of all, I learned that people are people no matter where you go and if you are one to embrace other cultures and truly try to learn from them, they will be thankful, gracious and accepting. I think living in the States, we are so secluded from the rest of the world, making it difficult to travel due to costs and locations, so we must really challenge ourselves to do so. Personally I also learned that I can literally do anything and survive anywhere. I was taking day trips and weekend trips as a solo traveler, meeting people along the way, changing my routes, challenging myself with a language I barely knew and pushing myself beyond limits. It really is what you make of it though. If you choose to sit inside in the same city all day long, then that’s going to be your experience. You learn that life is a choice, and you have to be the one to make the choice to experience it all.

Q: What were one or two of your favorite memories, experiences or images that stand out for you looking back on your time in Italy?

My first memory was the beautiful Italian family I stayed with, the Gissara family. The mother, Stefania, took me in as part of the family, and the daughters, Anita and Felicia, were like my own sisters. I loved every meal we would have together of homemade wonderful foods, our conversations and all of the family gatherings. I loved my goofy conversations with Zia Pia, the 96 year old aunt whom I would drink red wine with every night, and the gatherings with all of the family and friends. Some of my favorite weekends were visiting my new Sicilian friends, Martina in Milano and Francesca in Rome. Being taken around cities by natives made the experience so much more special and real.

Q: Do you have any tips for how travelers can make the most of their travel abroad experience while living with a host family?

First of all, realize you can’t fit “everything” in. I do a lot of research so naturally I made lists and lists of things to do in each city. I would pick 2-3 top main attractions or things that you are really passionate about so you can enjoy them and then enjoy the people you are with by making memories with them, practicing the language and allow time in between. I know all host families are different, so it’s really important to state your desires for the trip. If you are teaching, make schedules very clear as to what they are looking for. Know what times they want you to be home, how they feel about weekend trips, etc. Communication is key. I hear from my travelers that they weren’t as adventurous as I was because of their host families, but most people, especially Europeans, are understanding of one’s desire to explore, so it’s just very important you express what you are looking for.

Q: Do you have a favorite mantra or quote that inspires you to get out of your comfort zone and follow your passions that might help others go after their travel dreams?

Some of my mantra’s are Nike’s “Just Do It” and I believe it’s Joyce Meyers who says, “Do It Afraid.” I also remind myself that everything is just a moment in time. Time that is about to fly away, so if something scares you right now, more than likely you will get past that fear and keep moving forward. I also think we build up situations to be more scary that they actually are. Our fear is in the anticipation that we build up inside of ourselves, so if we can learn how to manage that and just “Do It Afraid” we can get past anything.

Q: If you were talking with someone that wasn’t sure about traveling to a new place, what would you say to persuade them to go for it?

Do you feel comfortable going through life only knowing your one culture in a world with millions of people you can think, learn and grow from? I for one am not satisfy with that. Also, what are you exactly afraid of? What’s the worst that could happen, especially in an environment with people approved through a trusted program… you learn a new language and make new friends? You do things you didn’t even know existed? Doesn’t sound too bad to me!

Q: Have your career goals or interests clarified or changed since you have returned from your program? If so, what lies ahead and how has traveling influenced this path?

As someone who works in entertainment, I see that for the time being my heart is in Los Angeles, but the journey to Italy put the travel bug in me, and especially as someone with a passion in film making and media production. I can definitely see myself working abroad in the future; hosting, writing and creating a travel show that encompasses cultures in a different light. Greenheart Travel was just the first taste of that experience, and I know I can do it, one of my new passions is to find a way to live a wonderful life with traveling as not just something that happens once a year, but something that intertwines with projects I am working on. I would also love to use my documentary skills to produce documentaries abroad in the future as well, focusing on individual stories by experiencing various cultures first hand.

Q: Any other additional thoughts you have about your experience or the importance of traveling and learning about a new culture?

You will never grow if you never change. You will never change if you are constantly doing the same thing, in the same environment with the same people. If you have an opportunity to travel, it’s simply not an option. You have to do it. I have regretted money spent on clothes, meals and things- not once have a regretted even a single dime spent on travel. The wealth of knowledge and life experience you will get is priceless.

 

Have any questions of Ashley about finding the courage to travel and explore? Comment below!

 

Some tourists have told me that Rome is “too touristy.” While many Italians tell me that “Roma è la città migliore del mondo.”

“Rome is the best city in the world.”

I knew I couldn’t leave Italy without going to Rome. This was a must. But, none of my friends or Italian family could come with me so going alone just did not sound appealing in the biggest city in Italy. But, of course my Italian mom said, “You must go to Rome. You are going to Rome.”

So off to Roma I am!

I hopped the bus to the Catania Airport and jumped on my plane for Rome with Aitalia Airlines (If you are 26 or under you fly for cheaper prices! My Ticket was 47 Euros). I booked a shuttle ahead of time for (6 Euros) from the airport to the city center and my hostel at “The Yellow” recommended by my amazing friend, Marina Kagan and printed my ticket for my flight back on RyanAir (This is a must, or else you will be charged!) I felt like I was all ready, but at the same time, coming off my flight, I was like, “This is such a big city…why would I do this alone?!”

But little do I know, “alone” would only mean for a few hours, until the adventures of new friendships began.

I headed to the hostel and could already tell that it lived up to it’s “party hostel” reputation, but not in a gross fraternity way, in a “this place looks really social, fun, clean and modern.” I put my stuff in my all-girl 4 dorm room (you have a choice between mixed and all girls, most girls opt for the all-girl rooms) and headed back down to reception, where I asked them how to be the most efficient with my time. (I had 3 days in Rome, but the map was very overwhelming.) They told me I should start my trip in Vatican City because it was the farthest away. I headed to the Piazza de San Piedro and I was stunned. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. It was unbelievable. How was this built in the ancient Roman times without technology or the resources we have today and still standing?

I ended up meeting two Italians and asked them to take my photo and they asked if I was alone. I said, for today, yes and they told me to come along with them! This was fantastic, I love being with Italians at all times in Italy- they know so much about the culture and even though they weren’t from Rome, they knew so much about the city already. We went inside the Chiasa de San Piedro and they explained the details behind the history of the church.

 

Later, we headed to the Trevi Fountain together and the Spanish Steps. It was so easy navigating the city with them because they knew where to go and what transportation to take. They had a romantic dinner planned at the Hard Rock Cafe at night and invited me to join them- I said, no way, they were already too gracious and told them I would grab some pizza somewhere They were so gracious to let me tag along with them, when it was a romantic getaway for her birthday!

When I got to the hostel I met my Italian roommate and told her we should grab some dinner somewhere and meet more people. We ended up having cheap, yet delicious food at “The Yellow” – I stuck with salad and fries this time (wasn’t too hungry and was eating too much pasta and pizza!)

Well this little dinner for 2 turned into a dinner for like 15. I kept seeing people eating by themselves at different tables and figured they were probably traveling alone too so I just started inviting people over to our table. It turned into a fantastic international bunch where we were all sharing our personal travel stories. Afterwards I headed with an Italian and Spainard to go dancing at a latin club and then one with more American-style music called, “Caruso.”

I realized that so many people travel alone and that there is no “one way” to travel. 

Some people had done the Israel birthright trip and payed the extra $250 to extend their trip and travel. Others were pilots, flying very cheaply, others were teachers and had a few months off, some just graduated college or were taking a gap year, while others were committed to a life of travel.

One thing was for sure, everyone was gusty and whether they found themselves in a crazy situation abroad or whether everything went smoothly, we were all getting this amazing international experience with no rules or standards as to how we should do things. We weren’t confined by anyone’s plans or having an easy trip where we just followed a guide. Every decision was our own and our days and nights were determined by what we wanted out of the trip. Some of my Korean friends detailed their trip out 3 months before with every single place and times they wanted to see everything, while some of my friends just hopped on other people’s plans and went with the flow. I’ve seen it all.

Travel Tip #1 : Planning Your Trip Without Getting Overwhelmed

I’ve decided that I think the best is to figure out your transportation and accommodations and the top 3-5 things you want to do/see in each city. These may not even be the most popular sites or things, but it doesn’t really matter. Do what you want, that’s what is going to remember the most anyway. My friends and I have said that we all feel like a part of us always feels like we need to be doing more and seeing more (you see millions of tourists around you and feel like, they must be seeing/doing something that you NEED to do too). Just do one thing at a time and you will really see how much you have learned and done in a short amount of time, instead of thinking, “Wow, other people are probably having the time of their lives. You can too. You’re in Italy.”

Travel Tip #2: Never Take a Moment or Person for Granted.

In my case, it was Saturday morning. I had to leave my luggage in the storage room because I hadn’t booked a second night yet and I ended up meeting this Canadian, Naomi. We headed to grab some breakfast and was again met by another 5-7 people. I decided that I could chill and eat breakfast with them and go from there or just go off by myself. I decided on breakfast. Best decision.

I met my little “best friend” on the trip- another Canadian, Amanda whose family was Italian and was doing a very similar journey to me- taking a month to explore Italy solo and meet up with friends and family along the way.

My ended up heading to the Colleseum Forums together and tried jumping on different tour groups.

And then something we heard struck us. As we were looking at one of the churches in the Colleseum Forums was originally a temple, we learned from the tour guide that the marks at the top of the large pillars were from the Roman Catholics trying to tear down the temple. The temple pillars were the only parts of the structures that were too heavy for them to tear down, and were therefore turned into part of the church.

You can clearly see the heavy lines at the top of the pillars and could envision the Christians, with dozens of men and thick rope trying to tear down the massive temple. It made me sad, but also gave me an incredible eery feeling and left me with a new lesson.

Travel Tip #3: A painting is just a canvas with some oils on it until you learn what it’s actually about. The next day I saw sorority girls going around the Colleseum and taking selflies and complaining that the tour guide is giving them too much information. They were complaining and disrupting the tour while I was trying to ask a million questions about the details of the spectaculars of the games.

It made me so mad. Are you in Rome to learn about the city that once ruled the world or are you in Rome for cool pictures? It’s your choice. Sometimes I know that there just isn’t a lot of information or you’re just too tired to learn about every single little thing, but when you have the opportunity to learn about a place as historical as Rome, try to soak up as much as you can.

Now I want to be more prepared before traveling. I want to watch documentaries and read books and articles on different places.

If you want to avoid the stereotypes of Americans being the ones who don’t know anything else about the world, do yourself a favor and get out of your head. You are in Rome. (in my case) If you want to have a deeper, richer experience, then sign up for tours, read the books and try to learn more about the area you are exploring. Sure, its “pretty,” but Rome is so much more than that. It is a city that allows for one to dive into history from the AD era and truly feel the presence of the souls that walked the Earth during this time.

For me, being at the Colleseum the next day was magic. I couldn’t breathe and I didn’t want to leave. I could envision the gladiators, who were chosen from a group of prisoners and were forced to play in these games created as a form of propaganda to show unity among the Roman Emperors and the Romans, symbolizing man’s control over wild forces. It reminded me of Hunger Games, everyone cheering on these insane spectaculars while men fought off lions, tigers, panthers, cheetahs and beasts from the Nile for their life and ambassadors came bringing gifts to Roman Emperors to form alliances in fear of the Romans conquering the rest of the world and demolishing their neighboring countries. It is one thing to look at photos of the Colleseum, but another to be inside. You can hear the cheers of the thousands of Romans that stood in the crowds, envision the all-marble dome with hundreds of animals waiting under grown to be brought to the stage to entertain the masses and feel the power of the Roman Empire. They say if the Colosseum was ever destroyed, Rome would be destroyed, and lucky it’s still standing today.

Rome changed everything for me. It made me realize that there is so much more to learn about the world, and there are so many places I want to go to and things I want to learn about. The world isn’t a stage of “Ashley Time, look at me.” It’s billions of different little stories, people and journeys outside our scope that we can’t even comprehend unless we push ourselves constantly and become “students of life.”

Later that night we formed another group at the hostel and headed to the Pantheon, which was also a temple built for Roman pagans and now used as a church to honor St. Mary’s, Trevi Fountain and the Piazza del Popolo to see the Obelisk. Afterward we headed to dinner at Navona Notte, which is a fabulous restaurant in the Piazza Navona (Via del Teatro Pace, 44, 00186 Rome, Italy) and all had different pasta dishes.

As I look around at our bunch- 1 from Chile, 1 from Germany, 2 from California, 1 from Canada and 1 from Argentina I smile as I munch on my pasta con salmone.

We are all from opposite sides of the world- yet because of this beautiful English language we are able to communicate without hesitation with each other. It’s incredible. To think that if you know English you can communicate with so many people from different cultures makes me see how important my work in helping others with English is important. It’s not a language you learn for fun- it has such international benefits.

On my last day after the Colleseum exhibits I met up with my Sicilian friend, Francesco and her friend Manuella and we ate the best tiramisu in Italy at Pompeii and headed to the Piazza Venezia where we climbed stairs to see all of Rome in a park overlooking the city. It was a beautiful ending to my time in Italy and I am so happy I was able to see Rome before I leave to go back to the States. It’s a city that reminds me of states like Los Angeles and New York; a historical site with so much history and yet has a way of mixing the old with the new, with restaurants oozing with pasta and formaggio tucked in between the chaotic walkways of foreigners, workers, and students alike within the midst of the ancient St. Peter’s and Colleseum, bringing the city which was once a masterpiece of the Ancient Roman Imperials to life in the modern world.

 

Grazie miei amici et Grazie Roma.

xoxo

 

“It’s like New York with a Big Mop. Fashion on Crack”

This weekend I had the opportunity to fly to northern Italy to visit my friend, Martina who I had met from some family friends in Sicily. Martina speaks English very well, as she studied for six months in Whales and is graduating in March from her program for international studies. She wants to become fluent in multiple languages, and I know without a doubt she will.

I told her when she was in Sicily that I would love to come to Northern Italy and I don’t think she actually thought I would. Many people say things like this all the time- but a few days later, I talked to her and booked the ticket that night. This would be my shot to see Milan and to visit people I already knew is that much better!

I’m not going to lie, the whole traveling part can be a doozy. Nothing seems like a straight shot anywhere in Europe. I wish you could walk to the airport and the plane would land right in the middle of some of the largest cities in the world. Of course, this would essentially ruin those cities, so ….

Anyway, after a friend drove me to the bus station, I took a bus to Catania, flew to Bologna, from Bologna took a bus to the train station, a train to Parma where Martina and her friends live (home to Parmesan cheese!)

From there Martina and her friend Valentina drove me to their apartment where I got to meet her awesome and friendly roommates, Filo and Marium and we spent the night eating all together and them telling me each of their dreams, what they were studying and more differences between Southern and Northern Italy. Most of the girls are from Southern Italy like Sicily and confirmed that people in the north are a bit “colder” than people in the South. Martina thinks that he can be due to weather. In Sicily, the weather is generally very warm and the summers are amazing on the waters. In Milan it rains a lot, there are no beaches and is known for work and fashion.

I loved seeing them all at work- one preparing the table with homemade bruscetta and the other making “crepes” filled with cheese and ham. I asked them if they always ate together and they said yes, almost every meal. Wow. I told them that their apartment reminded me of my apartment I was living with 3 other girls. I have lived with up to 9 other girls in a house, and there is just something so much better about living with just a few girls and being able to cook together, etc. But I also shared with them that our schedules were so different that rarely would we get to eat together. When we did though, I loved it. My roommate Emily would make me yummy coffee with hazelnut cream in the morning and or we would cook salad and chicken at night.

The next morning we headed to Milan- which was another journey. A bus to the train station which we road for 1.5 hours (10 Euros each way) to Milano where we caught another bus to the city centre. The trip was starting to get pretty expensive, but to cut costs we packed panninis which are just fabulous in Italy- fresh bread with salami and mozzarella cheese- a big one for lunch and a smaller one for a snack and some water. Not complicated, just delicious.

But man, once we got to Milan, it was fabulous. Like New York with a big mop. Like fashion on crack. Couture. Dolce & Gabanna. Louis Vutton. Valentino. (This is coming from a girl who only have a Michael Kors wallet and Coach clutch because they were awesome presents from her brother and sister)

Martina took us to the Piazza du Duomo and then we headed to the Galleria. I’ve honestly never seen anything like Milan. I know there are a ton of tourists there every day, but I still thought it was magnificent. We ate warm chestnuts on the street and ended our exploring with coffee for them and lemoncello gelato for me.

It was such a rainy day which made for umbrellas and cold boots, but I think the gloom made the lights of the shops come alive.

At night we all had dinner together, this time salad and breaded chicken from one of their mom’s. (Italian mothers love to send their children food.) Again, it was nice to eat salad, as this is rare for me in Sicily.

At night we met up with more of Martina’s friends and headed to a “Jamaican Pub.” I thought it was so ironic that we are in Italy going to a Jamacan Pub- in a way it just didn’t feel right. The waitress wouldn’t show us a menu and said they just “have everything” and there were still dirty drinks all over our table by the time our drinks came. However, I chimed in with the girls and decided to share a huge caraf of a fruit cocktail in the middle with exotic fruit like “fruit of love,” coconut, mango and other different flavors, and by the time I was starting to be more relaxed I was starting to have a blast.

The drinks were delicious and we heard the music- they were starting to play, “Twist and Shout,” and songs from Grease. That’s my jam!! So of course we hit the dance floor, but we didn’t just hit the dance floor…we OWNED the dance floor. It was fantastic. We were dancing like wild banshees all night. Martina and I shared more drinks and I started making requests like the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears- of course. 

Once Britney came on, of course I had to lip sing on stage. But then “Hit Me Baby One More Time came on, to which I said, time to  JUMP!!!!! …. and CRUNCH. Twisted my knee. Awesome. When in Roma?! 

So that wasn’t my brightest moment. Luckily I was a little tipsy but it still hurt like hell bobbing around. (Wasn’t going to let a simple twist of my leg stop me!) When we got back to the apartment I was just in luck.

 Luckily, one of the boyfriends was a physical therapist and he checked out my knee the next day, confirming that although I can be an idiot sometimes, it wasn’t actually broken- just needed some ice for a few days.

I didn’t want to leave Parma. It was such an excellent, carefree weekend. I miss those. I want more of those when I return to Los Angeles. I miss living with a bunch of girls, and look forward to doing that again in the future.

We spent the morning dunking biscotti’s with nutella into our homemade capuchinos and scooping them up with spoons and they insisted that they would visit me in Los Angeles, which I truly do believe they will. Martina plans on heading to London in March to improve her English (Even though she probably speaks better English than I do.) And us girls want to go visit her, even if it’s just for a week.

Then it was off to the train station, where Martina insisted that I keep her umbrella because of the freezing cold rain. (Who does that?) I’ve found that it is inherited among Italians to be some of the sweetest people I’ve met. They don’t even think about it. They 100% put others before themselves without even blinking an eye.

I had bread and parmesan cheese in my bag for my little dinner during the journey back to Sicily and the only part where I almost freaked out was when my VISA card wouldn’t work at the banks to withdraw money for my bus and I thought I was going to be late for the plane.

I only had 2 Euros in my bag and desperately needed my card to work. (The US thinks someone stole my card and put a hold on it.) I looked to my phone to call my dad, which was dead and thought. What the heck am I supposed to do!? I don’t have Euros, I don’t have a phone and my VISA isn’t working!

I thought, “calm down, Ashley.” My dad always says I freak out which is entirely true, and I thought, no, not the time, and I started to think, okay, solutions, solutions. I could

1. Ask someone for 4 Euros
2. Be daring and just hop into a taxi

I realized, who was I to ask someone for 4 euros for my bus when I never gave people money on the streets? (Here’s where I felt God glaring down at me saying, “Treat thy neighbor as thyself.)

So I jumped into a taxi and prayed that my card would work. I nervously sat in the taxi on the 9 minute drive with this old man telling me how much he loved the Los Angeles Lakers, as I’m clutching my VISA praying that it will go through. I figured that when I used it to buy my train pass it was fine- it was just at the banks that I couldn’t withdraw money.

Phew. BAM. It went through. Ended up paying 15 Euros instead of 6 for a ride but it was absolutely worth it (and was really the only way to get there).

I thought to myself, “You idiot. Why didn’t you make sure you had cash for your bus before?!” I kept praying, “God, I’m sorry I’m an idiot and I do not deserve your favor. Please help me find a way to the airport.”

I did not deserve a ride. But that’s how awesome God is, He gives you favor and keeps you safe even if you do act like an idiot, jump off a stage, twist your knee, forget your euros and jump into a taxi hoping your card won’t be declined.

Overall, I think I spent about 240 Euros on the Milan trip (all mostly plane, busses and trains) no gifts, as there was nothing that really jumped out at me, (except Valentino of course but it was completely worth it.

A weekend to hang with a bunch of 24 year old Italian girls and truly live the twenty-something Italian life with intelligent conversations and late night shenanigans, Check

Thank you Milano

 

This past week I took the bus from Syracuse to Catania, the second largest city in Sicily following Palermo. The ticket was 9.60 Euros for roundtrip, is about a 1.5 hour journey and takes you directly to the city center. In a way, the city kind of reminds me of San Francisco with a very easy and walkable layout and people and culture everywhere.

I am definitely a city girl.

Exploring and venturing everywhere with my camera and ears ready to listen to everyone I met, I felt even more alive than I do in the smaller towns. Even when I lived in my little suburb of Ohio, I always knew I was a city girl. Since then I’ve lived in Seattle and Los Angeles and know that in my lifetime I will probably also live in London, New York City and Rome, if my job allows me of course (I’ve heard London is even more expensive than Los Angeles.)

My experience in Catania was amazing because I had time to learn about the history and explore on my own time. I immediately met tour people and took a tram tour around the city. It normally costs 5 Euros, but I think because I was really nice and they liked that I was America, I got the ride for free. I usually don’t take tours, but given the low cost and it being around the whole city, I figured it was a great way to establish my bearings.

Check out my video for an in-depth view of the city.

My two favorite things in Catania are:

1. Cattedrale di Sant’Agata where the remains of the Virgin Saint Agata, the Saint of Catania- and now my favorite saint. She was the only woman to deny the Emperor in 250 AD when he tried to seduce her and because of this she was brutally mutilated. For a woman to say “no” to the emperor was a big deal and to honor her committed to her virginity and to give up her life for the cause is truly a noble act.

2. Teatro Massimo Bellini– A Beautiful theater in Catania dedicated to Venzenzo Bellini who wrote and directed 10 operas during his short time on Earth. For just 6 Euros you can tour the theater and there are operas throughout the year ranging from 14 Euros to 84 Euros if you want the best seat in the house.

After exploring I ate the famous “Pasta al Norma” named after Mr. Bellini for one of his most famous operas, “Norma,” at the amazing restaurant around the corner from the theater, “Trattoria Cassalinga.”

Tempted by the stores, I obviously had to do a bit of shopping, and some pretend modeling.

When I returned to Syracuse I finished the night having tea with my Australian friend Anthony and a few others, celebrating Anthony’s last night in Sicily.

It is always bittersweet when you depart from your fellow travelers. You establish a bond, a friendship of memories you’ve made abroad, yet at the same time you know that it is only for a moment. Although, with living in four different states across the United States and visiting multiple countries, I’ve discovered that staying in contact with your friends across the globe is not only important, but can lead to further possibilities for exploration, new friendships, jobs or more traveling. So never think a goodbye is a final goodbye, it’s more like a “see you later!”

What’s your favorite city you’ve been to so far, and why? Share below!

xoxo

“It’s not the places you’ll remember, it’s that conversations you had at the cousin’s girlfriend’s dad’s pub.”

Last night I had a choice. I could go have dinner with another family during my language homestay in Italy, or I could take a road trip to Taormina with my friend, Anthony and some of his friends. I have been wanting to go to Taormina and between the two busses it would take to get there to the idea of traveling solo and they said we could reschedule the dinner so I decided that it would be way more fun to go with a group, especially one I already knew.

On the phone, I finally answered Anthony, “When in Roma!” Okay, so we weren’t in Rome, we were in Taormina, which by the way is a beautiful little Harry Potter town at night. But it was still way better going in a group than solo.

It’s the whole concept of, is life about the experience or the people? To me, I think people make an experience.

This has come up a lot in my life, with one of my friends in particular who would always say, “Wow, that’s such a great experience,” or “okay, let’s do it, it’s an experience,” and I started to feel that he only wanted to go on adventures with me because I would, and because it was “an experience,” whereas to me it was more important to become closer to my friends and doing cool things was just another way of connecting with them.

With that being said, Taormina was awesome because of the group I was with. We started with what was deemed the “best cannoli’s in the world,” to going somewhere for our “before dinner,” where we had coffee and hot chocolate and ended up on some random Reality TV Show for an island off the coast of Sicily.

Read about Ashley’s adventure exploring Taormina and three lessons learned, on her blog…

As most are reflecting on the 2013 at this point and their goals for 2014, I’ve come to realize a huge lesson that I want to take with me in the new year.

Italians have taught me that life is an adventure and that you can truly choose to live it however you please. It really doesn’t matter what is the “typical” way of doing things, what American’s deem as acceptable or unacceptable. If you want to go to Asia, go to Asia. If you want to fall in love, fall in love. If you want to become a football player, become a football player.

They are ballsy and fearless and I just love it and want to live my life like that.

I’ve also realized that I am starting to become the person I’ve always wanted to become- starting to form habits I’ve always talked about and never actually did, starting to truly take everything and everyone in and live intentionally.

I’ve realized that not one thing is more important in your life than another. To focus your whole life on your career and all of your days, you are leaving no room for family, enjoyment and the mysterious of God to let loose into your heart.

The one lesson that I want to take with me into the New Year and encourage you to reflect on is that

You can’t create the future without living in the present.

And life is too short to not be ballsy.

Read more about Ashley’s New Year’s Eve experience in Italy, on her blog…

Last week I traveled to the city of Noto with my Italian madre Stefania. It was a beautiful city that comes to life with many people throughout the day and lends to many tourists. I am definitely one to try to avoid tourist towns but knew that I had to see Noto given its beauty and close proximity to where I was staying. Check out our video of the beauty and fun things to see in Noto.

It has been almost 4 weeks in Italy and I have experienced both traveling alone and with others and come to a few conclusions. It’s not like one is better than the other, it is just different and comes with different benefits and downsides, so here is a list to think about.

Everyone is always shocked when they find out that I’m traveling alone to some places. To me, it is so normal. If others are busy, then I’m not going to sit around, and I can tell you that I’ve seen others become a victim to this. They are too scared to travel by themselves. If you are younger than 18 I would definitely not recommend this, but if you feel like a responsible adult, then it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, get the courage, get your bag and go out. You will regret it if you don’t. If you are constantly waiting for others to go with you on adventures you will be doing just that… constantly waiting.

People work. People have school. They are not always going to stop their lives to take you around to the towns, and you shouldn’t expect that. But, you also shouldn’t let that stop you.
Traveling with Others – Pros and Cons

1. You always have a travel buddy.

PRO: You always have someone to talk with, take photos with and venture with.

CON: It is no longer your trip. You have to take the other person into account and what they want to see and do. Sometimes I find myself focusing on the other person and making them happy and making sure they are having fun, instead of really taking in the scenery around me.

2. You don’t have to stick to being a “tourist”
PRO: If you are traveling with a local, they will know more about the areas and be able to take you to places that aren’t the “typical touristy places.”

CON: Because they are a local, they may want to brush through things more quickly than you want to, and feel more antsy if you want to constantly stop and take photos or videos.

3. Always have someone who speaks the language.

PRO: If you are with someone who speaks the language, your fear is eliminated and you feel more free, knowing that someone at least knows what they are doing.

CON: You are constantly dependent on someone else to tell you where to go and what to do and taking the “easy road,” knowing that you always have a crutch.

TRAVELING SOLO – Pros & Cons

1. It is just you, you don’t have anyone else to help you speak the language.

Pro: You are stretched to practice your language skills because you HAVE to, there is no one you can lean on.

Con: Sometimes you will get confused, go wrong ways, miss places that you should have seen but didn’t because you didn’t know about them.

2. You are forced to talk with others.

Pro: Because you have no one else with you, you are more conscious of other people and seek out foreigners or other people who may speak the language.

Con: You won’t always meet people that you become friends with right away, and sometimes you can’t tell if someone has good intentions or bad intentions. There have been countless times where I’ve taken the more cautious road and said “no” to having coffee with random people or going places. However, Stefania informed me that Italians in particular love foreigners so if people ask me to have coffee or food with them, there is no harm in going- obviously getting on the back of a moped with a stranger is most likely not a good idea. (I actually almost considered this last week when I was going with the whole “When in Roma!” idea but ended up running into another friend them away.)

3. You have no distractions.

Pro: I’ve noticed that you really take in the experience. You slow down. You hear and see things you wouldn’t have seen with another person distracting you and talking to you. You stare at people more and it is perfectly acceptable because you are a foreigner and “don’t know otherwise.” You can constantly use the whole “Oh, I didn’t know, sorry, I’m American…” which I’ve used many times

Con: Sometimes you want a distraction or someone to reflect with.

It is perfectly your preference of whether or not you want to travel alone or with others. With my Taormina experience, going with friends made it the best trip, but going to Catania and exhibits by myself are my favorite.

So what do you prefer?

I have been asking myself lately, am I an introvert or an extrovert?

Anyone who knows me would say, “you are obviously an extrovert.” I always thought I would always want to be around other people. I love people. I love talking. But, I can honestly say that I also thrive by being by myself. There is something so freeing of getting somewhere somewhat far away on your own, being able to communicate with strangers in a language that was completely foreign to you. I slow down and read more about the places I am at. I am constantly seeking out people, asking questions and just open to whatever God puts in my way, whereas when I’m with others, I feel secure because I have a travel buddy and don’t “need” to go outside our little bubble.

You feel older, wiser and more in control of your life. It becomes addictive. Once you’ve gown somewhere foreign by yourself, you realize, why are you waiting for others and letting others hold you back? There is absolutely no reason why you should let ANYTHING get in your way of traveling or venturing, whether it is down the street or across the world. Believe in yourself and have courage. You will realize that you are a lot stronger and braver than you thought you were!

You will meet so many people and you will see that you and fellow travelers cling on to each other. When I meet an American or someone else who speaks English, it is like we are automatic friends! That is exactly how it was with my Australian friend, a new friend from New Zealand and others I’ve met along the way.

However, I’ve also met SO many people from friends of friends’ of the family or cousins of brothers and there is an automatic TRUST there because you know that they are family or friends and they in return will take you to meet even more people. I’ve learned to say “yes” to almost everything because you never know who you are going to meet or what you are going to learn- even if it’s going to the supermarket or walking around the city. I now have friends in Milan, Rome, Verona and Mount Etna that I am so excited to see!

Have fun exploring and if you have any tips, please share them below!

xoxo

Ashley B.

When I was letting fear get to me in Los Angeles and not quite sure if going to Italy would mess up my life one of things I interpreted as a sign from God was a simple name.

Madre Italiano: Stefania.

For those who know me well or have heard my mom’s story, you know that my mom’s name is Stefanie (most call her Steffie) and she is near and dear to my heart. Having an incurable disease, my mom has become my little bear I have grown to love so much and have found myself trying to recreate memories of my childhood or find ways to fulfill little dreams of hers.

When I told my dad the mom’s name was “Stefania” he said, “I think it’s a sign from God. You don’t want to mess that up.” So thank you to the parents who named Ms. Vinci because that is most of the sole reason why I am in Italy right now, and thank you to God for the strong convictions you give me.

It is truly insane how many things Stefania does that reminds me of my mom. The way she cooks the most incredible veal (I don’t even eat meat and I made an exception) the way she only likes buying things on sale, the way she loves her sweet (dolce) pastiscerries at specialty shops and the way people call her Steffie.

With that being said, I have grown so fond of Stefania for the qualities that remind me of my mom, but also the one’s that are uniquely Stefania Vinci.

This woman runs a tight ship, with three kids and working as a teacher, she goes anywhere from sitting for hours helping her kids do homework, to dancing and singing to Latin songs in the kitchen, to wanting a foreign girl to stay at her house so her kids could improve English to making the best food I have ever had in my life.

She composes what most women try to accomplish and can’t quite get a grasp on- being a strong independent woman, having a family and being happy.

I woke up this morning and realized that besides writing, filming, editing, talking to as many people as possible, exploring Italy and meeting new friends, I want to learn how to cook.

I honestly could be voted by America as the worst cook in the world, but also #1 girl in the world who doesn’t give a hoot about cooking. I’ve come to realize though, that cooking doesn’t have to be this crazy domestic thing that only pinterest-loving-apron-wearing girls do (no offense, again, I’m jealous but it’s just not me) but something that everyone should learn how to do- whether it’s for your family or for yourself.

Instead of paying way too many euros for cooking lessons- I have an amazing cook right in front of me that I could easily learn from. Which is what I have set out to do.

Here is the big news. At the end of our 4 weeks of cooking lessons- I am going to make the entire family a meal. Obviously, this isn’t some huge grandious idea, but if you knew me and my burnt fondue, you know that if accomplished it would be more than impressive, it would be a miracle.

This is part 1 of a 5 part series of “Cooking with Steffie” – easy yummy Italian recipes and bonafide lessons from Una Cuoca Italiano.

Cucinando con Stefania (if pronounced right, it rhymes- coo-shin-yan-da con Stefania.)

Recipe:

12 Artichokes
2 Onions
1 Big Box of Beshamala
1 Box of Lasagna
1 small bag of parmagiana
1 small brick of Scamorza Affumicatad Cheese
1 Onion
Salt
Butter
Olive Oil

(Note: Stefania does not use recipes or measure things precisely, so everyone who makes this will make it a bit differently)

Step 1: Cut the onion into small pieces and fry in a pan of olive oil.

Step 2: Cut the artichokes and take the inside out (the heart of the artichoke) and place in the pot with the golden onion, half a glass of water and a pinch of salt.

Step 3: While the artichokes are cooking, take a baking pan (choice of size is your preference) with flakes of butter and lay the lasagna pasta flat on the pan for your first layer

Step 4: Spread Bechamel sauce all over the first layer and add small pieces of artichokes throughout with small pieces of smoked cheese and sprinkles of Parmagiana.

Step 5: Continue this until you have 3 or 4 layers.

Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees (or 180 degrees in Europe) for about 20 minutes, checking the oven frequently.

Step 7: Give it a minute to cool, cut and enjoy! I never eat leftovers and I had it the next day for lunch- molto buono!

Enjoy! xoxo

From two weeks of being in Italy on my language homestay program, I have concluded that the best way to travel abroad truly is to live with a family or a group of natives. You learn 10x more knowledge from observation, being forced to speak the language and going outside of your typical American tourist bubble. It has been days where I have merely had dinner with Stefania’s friends or went to some type of local event that I have felt so incredibly fulfilled.

On multiple occasions we have had dinner with Stefania’s great friends, Eliana, her husband Davida and their daughter Julia and my experiences with them has taught me more about the pace of the Italian life and what they hold most important.

Our first lunch all together brought yummy eggplant parmesana, cannolis Julia giving me the BEST homemade gift ever that I am excited to bring back to the States and wonderful conversation. Inspired, I’ve comprised a list of some things we need to learn from Italians.

Read Ashley’s 5 lessons to learn from Italians, on her blog…