Travel

The past couple of days have been CRAZY but also amazing. So I left the US on May 21st. I flew out of Manhattan with a couple other students going to Orvieto as well and the plan was to fly to Chicago and then Rome. The flight in Manhattan was delayed an hour and when we finally got to Chicago we sat on the tarmac for 45 minutes, so by the time we got off that flight we only had about 15 minutes to catch our connecting flight. We all sprinted across Chicago O’ Hare International (one of the biggest airports in the country), but they were closing the doors just as we arrived. We then spent the next hour with customer service trying to get us a new flight. We were able to get one that left later that night but it was flying to Venice instead of Rome. That flight was also delayed but we were eventually able to get on the plane late that evening. 8 1/2 hours later we landed in Venice. When we got to Venice we had to go through passport security and then we had about a two hour layover. While sitting and waiting during the layover we found out NONE of our checked luggage made it on the plane in Manhattan and it was all in Dallas (like what?? we did not even go to dallas) :). BUT good news our flight from Venice to Rome was on time and was only a 45 minute flight, so we arrived in Rome at about 10:00 US Central time on May 22nd. When we arrived in Rome we had to go track down all our bags with lost and found and tell them where to send the luggage when they received it. We then waited for about an hour and a half for a shuttle to bring us to Orvieto. We finally arrived in Orvieto at about 10:00 pm (Orvieto time/3:00 pm US Central) and were dropped off at a restaurant to eat and talk to other kids in the program. After we ate some food instructors brought us to our apartments. WE HAD FINALLY MADE IT and after the long trip I went straight to bed, because we had activities planned for the next morning.

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We had an early day today. My group had to meet at the school by 8:30 am. Once we met at the school we were introduced to the chef who would be helping us throughout the day. We explored the market Orvieto has every Thursday and Saturday. It was filled with many people selling fresh fruits and veggies, flowers, clothes, and much more. After we got everything we needed we walked down to the bus area so they could take us to the winery. We went to Cantine Neri which is just outside Orvieto. When we got there we split into two groups. First my group went to the kitchen and started to prepare the lunch we were going to eat. We got to make the dessert. After that we switched with the other group and go to tour the winery. The views were absolutely gorgeous. We then all sat down together and enjoyed the food that we had prepared. We also were able to try some of the wines they had to offer. Once we got back to Orvieto I took a nap and then a couple girls and I went shopping and ate some gelato. As I was getting ready to go to bed WE GOT A CALL THAT OUR LUGGAGE HAD ARRIVED WHOOP WHOOP. Me and another girl had to run through town and get everyones luggage before the carrier guy left with all of it. Two out of four of my wheels were ripped off my suitcase but at this point all I cared about was finally getting my luggage. I however did have to carry my 60 pound suitcase all the way back to my apartment and up two flights of stairs.

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To start the day I went to a small cafe for breakfast with one of my roommates and a couple other girls in the program. I ordered an apricot croissant and a cappuccino, they were both very good. Also coffee shops in Orvieto are WAY cheaper than any in America. After we ate breakfast we met up with the rest of the KSU group and all the faculty leaders at the school in Orvieto so we could get started on our planned activities for the day. When we got to the school we were divided into two groups. My group toured the caves of Orvieto first. There are thousands of caves in Orvieto, and we toured just a couple of them. The caves we went to were on the edge of town where the views were amazing. Orvieto is built up on a hill so from this view you could see all down through the valley. After we toured the caves we then went to the Torre Del Moro which is a clock tower in Orvieto with a 360 panoramic view of the entire town. While the view at the top was amazing the 300+ steps we had to climb to get to the top were not and we were all pretty winded, but it was definitely worth it. After enjoying the views we then went to the Duomo di Orvieto which is a cathedral in the town. A tour guide took us all through there. After we had time for lunch. My roommates, a couple other girls, and I went to a place called Bar Duomo. I ordered a pepperoni pizza and it was delicious. After lunch we met back up with the group to tour the town. We learned where the grocery stores were, where the pharmacies were, and how to get to the bottom of the hill Orvieto is located on. After the tour we had free time to do what we wanted the rest of the day. One of my roommates and I went to the grocery store and grabbed a couple things we needed and then headed back to our apartment and chilled there the rest of the day since we were exhausted from the past couple of days.

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Today some friends and I started off the day yet again by going to a cafe for some breakfast. We decided to try a different cafe today that happened to be right by the school. I ordered a plain croissant and a cappuccino (all for $2.45). We then met the entire group at the school for a tour of the facilities. After that we had orientation at the public library where we learned all we need to know for the next couple of weeks. After that we had free time. First my roommates, the girls next door, and I went by the apartment to grab some things. We then went to the market that happens every Thursday and Saturday. After that we went to the grocery store to grab some food to cook for later that evening. We also ran into one of the program directors who live in Orvieto she told us what wines would be best with the dinner we were preparing. We then took everything back to the apartment. Then one of the girls that live next door and I went to grab some lunch. We went to a restaurant that was near us, it was very good. First they served us tomatoes that were in vodka and dipped in this green powder, the waiter said it was like a bloody mary. It was surprisingly really tasty. He also brought us out some different bread to enjoy. We both ordered a pasta with meat and ragu sauce, it also had orange peels and carrots in it. I am not exactly sure what it was but it was super delicious. After that we went back to our apartments and I took a nap. We then all met back up for dinner at my apartment, my roommate cooked some fresh pasta with red sauce. We then decided to go out to the bars. First we went to Bar Duomo it was fun and some other girls also met up with us there. After that we went to another bar that played music, we met some very friendly Italians while we were there and they LOVE American music. After a very fun night we went back to our apartments to get some sleep.

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Today was a very chill day for me. It was raining here in Orvieto, so I stayed in all day and caught up on some sleep. I also got some homework done since classes begin tomorrow, wait I have to actually study while I am here? I will upload some pics from the past week/weekend since I did not really take any today.

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Today was the start of classes! Before class I tried another cafe. I ran into a couple girls on my way there and ate with them. The place we ate at was called Montenuccis and I got a cafe latte and of course a croissant, today I got my croissant with cream filling. After that we went to our first class of the day, which for me was Food and Wine of Italy, that lasted a couple hours. I then had a couple hour break for lunch. My roommate made us some pasta with beef. I then had another class in the afternoon which was Anthropology. After that I again had a break and then had Food and Wine in the evening as well. After classes were done for the day my roommates, the girls next door, and I went to dinner. We tried to go to a famous restaurant but they were booked for the night so instead we went to Il Dialogo. I got the carbonara, it was very good and is my new favorite dish. We then tried another gelato place in town, I got chocolate and it was very good. I then met up with another group of people to plan a trip. After that I went back to my apartment for the evening.

Today I went to the same cafe I went to yesterday with one of the girls on the trip. We also ran into one of the program directors and his family while we were there. I got a cafe latte again, but I tried new pastry. I am not sure what it was but it was very good. I then had Anthropology to start off the day. After class we had a group meeting with the whole program. I then went to lunch with one of my roommates and the girls that live next door. We went to Bar Duomo again, and I got diavola pizza which is basically their pepperoni pizza. After that we were walking home and had to stop and get gelato. We again tried a new place and I tried a new flavor. It was kind of like chocolate chip. Then we hung out at the apartment for awhile and later had Food and Wine class that night. After Food and Wine I went with another group of girls to dinner. We tried the famous restaurant again AND surprisingly we were able to get in. The place is called Meza Luna and after eating there I now know why they are always so busy. They are famous for their carbonara so of course I had to get that. It was absolutely delicious and stands as my fav dish. After dinner a couple people from the group went and walked around the town. We explored some places we had never been. It was really fun but also a lot of hills lol. After we walked around a while I went back to my apartment for the evening.

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On Wednesdays we do not have any classes and are free to do what we want if we do not have a planned field trip with our classes. I spent my free day sleeping in and I also did some laundry at the laundromat (way more expensive than an American laundromat it cost me 15 euros to was and dry one load of clothes). After I was done with laundry I met up with some girls to get train tickets booked for our weekend trip. We also took the bus to the bottom of Orvieto to test it out, so that when we did have to catch the train we would be prepared. After that I went to eat with a couple of the girls at Il Dialogo, I got something that is like chicken alfredo in America but it had no chicken. We then went back to our apartments and I finished up some homework I had due for a class.

Today I woke up to some texts from the girls I was going on a weekend trip with saying that we should leave Today (Thursday) instead of early Friday morning, which I was totally down for. After I got ready I met one of the girls going on the trip at our favorite cafe and got some breakfast before class. We thought that we had missed our opportunity to change our train tickets but turns out we had not and so during our first class of the day we changed our plans and decided to leave that day and go to Naples, BUT first we had to get through class. During Food and Wine we toured the market and tried different samples and after that I ran home to finish some homework for my second class. I had a couple hours to do that before class and then after my second class I had to run home and pack my things for the weekend. After rushing to get my things packed I met some of the group and we walked to the Funicular (basically a tram thing that brings you to the bottom of Orvieto) we waited there for the rest of the group and then headed down to the train station. It was my first time riding a train and we had a couple of stops with train switches but we eventually made it to Naples. When we got there it was around 10:00 at night and we had to walk to our Airbnb. We had no idea what we were in for – Naples was quite dirty and a little scary at night but we did eventually make it to our Airbnb. The door to the Airbnb had five locks on it if that tells you anything about the place, but the Airbnb itself was a nice and comfortable place to stay for the night.

Today we woke up early in Naples and walked back down to catch another train to continue our journey to the Amalfi Coast. Naples may be one of the most dirty places I have ever been, but I am glad I was able to experience and see the city. We decided we wanted to stop by Pompei on our way to the Amalfi Coast since it was on our way. We stopped in Pompei and took a bus to go see the Pompeii Ruins. We walked around for a while it was a super cool experience to see the ruins. After we were done there we thought it would be a good idea to walk back to the train station in Pompei because the guy had told us it was only a twenty minute walk…..it was not. Once we got to the train station we had to book another train to get us to the Amalfi Coast. There are many different ways you can get to Amalfi but we decided to take a train to Vietri Sul Mar and then take a bus from there to the town of Amalfi. This was awful in many different ways lol. Once we got to Vietri Sul Mar we had zero idea where the bus was but after about 20 minutes figured it out. We then had to wait a while for a bus to come and when it finally did come we were packed on the bus. Vietri Sul Mar is only 15 miles from Amalfi BUT it took us over an hour to get there by this bus. The roads were very curvy and you were on a cliff the whole time. A lot of the girls felt sick, but for me it was just real scary. We did finally make it to the town of Amalfi at around 5:30 ish but then we had to catch another bus that would take us to our Airbnb that was just a couple miles away. While we were waiting on this bus it started to completely down pour on us, but after waiting for about 30 minutes the bus finally came and we made it to our Airbnb. Once we got all settled in we ate at a restaurant right beside our place it was so good and some of us tried some lemoncello for the first time it was delicious. After dinner we headed back to the place and went to bed for the evening.

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Today three girls from the group and I decided to go to Capri for the day. Capri is a little island you get to by boat and to get to a boat you have to get to the town of Amalfi. None of the busses were running at the time we needed to leave our Airbnb so guess what we walked. It was 1.7 miles and took us about 40 minutes but it was an absolutely beautiful day out and the views were amazing. Once we got down there we wanted to rent out a private boat, but they were all booked for the day. Instead we ended up just taking a ferry to get there. We got to see all the little towns along the way to Capri and it was amazing and like nothing I had ever seen before. The pictures we were able to take looked like something of a post card. The ferry to Capri was only about an hour long and once we got there we had to figure out what we were doing. We knew we wanted to go to the beach, but had no idea how to get there. Eventually we figured it out and ended up going to Marina Piccola and getting access to their private beach. Once we got there we realized all the traveling we did was more than worth it. The beach was gorgeous and the views were amazing. You had a beach on one side of you and mountains on the other, it was unreal and the water was so blue. We got to spend about five hours on the beach and while we were there we also ate some lunch at a little restaurant. We had to head back to the ferry at about 4:00 so we did not miss it (although I kinda wish I could have just missed it on purpose). After an amazing day in Capri we made it back to the town of Amalfi and went out to dinner with the rest of the group. The place we ate at was very interesting and had the most American food I had seen while in Italy, but I still got lasagne. After dinner we road the bus back of to our place and went to bed because we had a long day of traveling ahead of us.

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Today we had to travel back to Orvieto, but we learned on our way to Amalfi some very valuable lessons like to never ever take a bus alongside the Amalfi Coast. We had to again walk to the town of Amalfi to get anywhere we wanted to go, but once we got to the bottom we decided we would take a ferry to the closest town with a train station so we did not have to ride that awful bus again. THIS WAS THE BEST DECISION EVER. The ferry only took about 30 minutes to Salerno and it was farther than what we road on the bus. Once we got to Salerno we got some train tickets to Naples. After about an hour ride there we had a three hour wait in Naples. We then got on another train to Rome and then switched to yet another train to get to Orvieto. Once we got back to Orvieto we had quite the experience with the bus back to the top but we did finally make it after traveling for 12 hours lol. Overall it was a very fun weekend and I was able to meet some amazing people. Now time to get back into class mode :(.

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After a long weekend of traveling throughout Italy it was time to get back into the swing of classes. Because I was so tired from traveling all weekend I did not go to a cafe to get my morning breakfast and instead slept in a few extra minutes. I then had my regular Monday schedule which is food and wine class for two hours then a break then anthropology class then another break and then food and wine class again. My morning was pretty similar to all my others just going to class, but for my evening class we got to go to Montanucci’s and hear from their head pastry chef. Montanucci’s is like everyones favorite place to go in town and it was really cool to hear about how they make all their pastries. The chef actually showed us how he makes a couple of the things one was a bread and the other was a cookie and then we got to try both of them. We also got to try some of the homemade chocolate. The chef says that it is his favorite thing to make. I had to buy some because once it starts getting hot out they stop making to chocolate. We also got to try Montanucci’s famous cake and it was delicious. We paired that with a wine and I am not a huge fan of wine but this one was pretty good. After class my friend Elise and I went to try a new restaurant in Orvieto. The restaurant was called Trattoria dell’Orso. I had the spaghetti carbonara I know big surprise, but it was actually my least favorite one I have had since being in Italy. We also tried some tiramisu and it was alright. After that we headed back to the apartment.

Today was like any other Tuesday, I again did not go to a cafe this morning because I slept in. I went to my anthropology class and then had a break until my next class which was not until 6:00. For food and wine today we got to go to a meat shop and try all kinds of meats and cheeses and we also tried a couple of wines while we were there. The meats were pretty good I liked some a lot more than others. There was one I really liked but I do not remember the name and then I also liked the lard they served us on warm bread. I am not a fan of plain cheese it really grosses me out and I also do not like the smell so I did not eat any of the cheeses. The first wine was a white wine and it was pretty good and the second wine was a red and I was not a huge fan of that. After the food and wine class my friend Kourtney and I went to eat for dinner. One of our friends told us about this pizza place called Pizzeria Antica Arte Napoletana. It is a wood fire pizza place and it was so good. For the first time I just got the regular margarita pizza instead of the pepperoni like one. After that we went to Montanucci’s because Kourtney had won a free drink. When we got there she got her free drink and Slavik (everyones favorite worker) gave us some snacks. We also tried another one of the cakes. After that we both headed back to our apr

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Today was a pretty chill day for me like all Wednesdays. I slept in and then just worked on Anthropology homework. I also watched some Netflix. For dinner we ordered takeout from the same place I got my pizza on Tuesday night and brought it back to our apartment. There was a huge political thing going on in Orvieto and tons of people were out to hear this guy speak when we went to go get our pizza.

Today was another day not filled with a whole lot. I went to both my classes for the day and prepared for the weekend trip to Florence. After my classes were over I pretty much just chilled at my apartment until dinner. For dinner my roommates, the girls next door, and I went to the famous Mezza Luna. I had already eaten there before but they had not and it was so good that I had to go back anyways. I got the spaghetti carbonara again but instead this time I got it with umbrichelli noodles to try something new and it was delicious. Afterwards we got some gelato and then headed back to our apartments for the night.

Today we had to wake up at about 5 am to catch a train to Florence. For this trip the entire KSU group went along with the advisors and faculty. When we got to Florence it was about 9:45 we dropped our bags off at the hotel and then we went with our groups. I went with my food and wine class to the San Lorenzo Market which I had learned a lot about in my Anthropology class throughout the past week. When we got to the market we went to what is called the central market which is inside and has recently been renovated. On the first floor we toured all kinds of different food market type places that had all sorts of things from meat to cheese to baked goods. They also had some wine and seafood vendors as well. It was a really cool thing to see and after we toured that floor we went up to the second floor for lunch. The second floor was almost like a food court they had Italian food, hamburgers, smoothies, sushi, and much more I just had the margarita pizza. The second floor was a little too touristy for me but still cool to see. After that my friend Kyra and I walked around the outside market where people were selling bags, souvenirs, t-shirts, clothes, and much more. I was able to purchase a couple things and it was really interesting to see how everyone interacted with us as tourists. After we explored the market we decided to walk around the rest of the city until we could check in to our rooms. We pretty much just walked around and looked at some things and we also went to the Gucci museum because it was free. Free to get in but thousands of dollars for a hoody lol. We went in to a few stores because they had a lot of shopping options in Florence. After a couple hours of messing around we went to check in to the hotel. We checked in and hung out for about an hour to rest our feet and then decided to go back out and explore since we only had a day and a half in Florence. We again walked around a little bit and went to some shops and then we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for happy hour and a snack. We got drinks and wings also they have no idea what ranch is which is so weird to me. After that we headed to a bridge that overlooks the water. We took some pics there and then met up with another group and walked around with them for a while. Then we went back to the hotel to charge our phones and rest our feet and after about an hour we were ready to go again. Kyra and I decided to go to a lookout point it was a pretty long walk and once you got there is was all uphill but it was totally worth it. The view was absolutely amazing. After that we met up with another group that was having drinks. We hung out with them and messed around Florence for a while then we went back to the hotel and hung out on the rooftop terrace with a huge group of KSU students. The whole day was a lot of fun but also very tiring.

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Today we started the day going on different tours with our classes. My anthropology class went to the Uffizi Galleries. It was a very long tour but it was very interesting. After the tours a couple people and I went to the market. First we ate lunch I had this rice ball thing that was so good. It was a fried rice ball with ragu sauce. After that I hung out by myself shopping for some souvenirs in the market and then I also went and bought myself a new suitcase. I then headed back to the hotel to grab my things I stopped and got some fresh fruit and waster and then ran into a couple of my friends while I was walking back and after I got my bags we headed to the train station together. We then headed back to Orvieto. Once we got back we all dropped our stuff off at our apartments and then went to dinner. We went to a cave restaurant in Orvieto it was pretty good, but I got a three cheese pizza that was not like American three cheese pizza at all and I did not really like it. After that we walked around and went to this recital that was going on in town. We then went to a couple bars and got some drinks and then headed back to our apartments and went to bed.

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Today I slept in after a long weekend in Florence and then hung around my apartment for a while. There were a lot of activities going on in Orvieto because of the Palombella Festival. In the evening my roommates and I got to experience the parade they have. Everyone dresses up in medieval outfits and they walk through the town. The town is split up into four different parts and you represent where you live. At the end of the parade there is a cross bow competition in the main Piazza by the school. It was very interesting to see the parade and the cross bow competition because we were able to experience something unique within the town and their culture. It was a lot different than a parade you may see in the US. After the parade and competition my roommates and I went to Pam which is the local grocery store to get some food for the upcoming week. I then made myself buttered noodles for dinner and then hung out with my roommates.

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Today was like any other Monday in Orvieto. I went to class all day and had little breaks in between. For my Food and Wine class we had a wine tasting during our second class period. We tried six different kinds of wine. We tried a rose and red wines. I am not a super huge fan of red wines but the rose we tried was pretty good. After that I went back to my apartment and made myself noodles with ragu meat sauce for dinner instead of going out like I normal would. After dinner my roommates and I just chilled in our apartment for the rest of the evening.

Today I went to Anthropology class in the morning and then like all Tuesday’s had the afternoon free and then had my Food and Wine class in the evening. Today for Food and Wine we were able to go to an Olive Oil tasting. This was a really neat experience and something I had never done before. We went to a local restaurant that is family owned in Orvieto and they make the olive oil themselves. We first tried three different types of oils when we got there just drinking them straight, which was odd to me. You could tell which of the olive oils were fresh because they smelled and tasted like grass. After that they gave us some food that had their olive oil in it. My favorite was the bread salad. I had never had bread salad before but it was really good. We also tried a wine while at the olive oil tasting. The wine was a white and it was not the best I have had in Orvieto but it was still good. After the olive oil tasting some of my roommates and I went to Bar Duomo for dinner. I got the diavola pizza, as always. We then went to Montanucci’s for dessert. I tried the red cherry cake. It was probably my favorite cake I have had there. After that we headed back to the apartment because we had a field trip planned for Wednesday morning.

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Today we had our field trip for Food and Wine. We stayed in the Orvieto area and went to two different wineries that were about 45 minutes away from the top of Orvieto. At the first winery we were able to tour some of the vineyards and the wine cellars and then we were served a four course meal. This was one of the best meals I have had while in Italy, it was amazing. They started out with a flan like thing with truffles on top. Truffles are a huge thing in Umbria and they can get a little expensive so you can not always get them but they are so good. The next course was a pasta. I am not really sure what kind of sauce was on the pasta but it was really good. The third course was a chicken that was kind of spicy. It was pretty good but a little weird. Lastly we had dessert. The dessert they served was a chocolate lava cake. IT WAS AMAZING. It was so warm and full of flavor. We also had a wine pairing with each of the courses, my favorite was the rose we had. After lunch we took a 45 minute bus ride to the next winery. Here we were able to tour the vineyards and also the caves where they store and bottle the wine. After the tour we were able to try three different wines and we were served a bunch of little snacks. The sparkling wine was my favorite out of all the wines we tried. After that we headed back to Orvieto. The students had the aux on the bus ride and it was so much fun. We played all kinds of music and sang along the whole way back. The field trip was so much fun and also a great experience. After we got back I just chilled at my apartment the rest of the evening.

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This weekend we were able to travel to Rome on Friday. When we got there Friday morning we checked our stuff into our hotel and then we went on a walking tour of the city. We were able to experience a lot of the major attractions the city of Rome has to offer such as the Coliseum and the Trevi Fountain. It was so cool to be able to experience these different things you always hear about in movies and history class. We did however walk for over four hours and many many miles and it was very hot but it was all worth it. After the tour a couple girls and I went to the Hard Rock Cafe and got ourselves some lunch. We decided to walk because we thought it was not that far…..it was a lot farther than we thought it was. We ate at the Hard Rock and then after got ourselves a cab back to our hotel since it was so far. When we got to the hotel we all went to our rooms and took a nap and then after we did some shopping. We walked to this area that had a whole bunch of shops and brands you would see in America such as H&M, NIKE, and Foot Locker. After me and a couple girls went and got these smoothie things and then I went to an Irish Pub with a few people. It was super fun to just sit and chill after a long day. After that we went to bed since we had an early morning. On Saturday we went to St. Peter’s and Vatican City first and then I went with my Anthropology class to another museum. After the museum I traveled back to the main part of Rome with two friends and we shopped a little, got some lunch, and got magnum bars…..this was my second time getting a magnum bar in Rome they were so good and you could create your own. After that we jumped on the subway and headed to the train station so we could make it back to Orvieto.

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This week was spent going to class and reminiscing on my time in Italy and how it went so fast. In my classes this week I had a couple presentations and some final project that were due. In my food and wine class we were able to make homemade pasta and pizza on Monday and on Tuesday we were able to go back to Montanucci’s and the pastry chef showed us how he made this famous cake. The KSU Engineering students arrived in Italy this week and my roommates and I hung out with them in their first week in town. They were so much fun it was too bad they were not there the whole time. On Wednesday we traveled down to the swimming pool with them. You had to go down to the valley to go to the swimming pool. It ended up taking way longer than it should have for us to go down there but it was worth it and we had a good time. On Thursday evening we had our farewell dinner, it was so sad to say goodbye to Orvieto and the friends I had made over the past few weeks. After the farewell dinner we went back to our apartment and had a few people over and then went out to the bars. Friday was spent packing and hanging out with people who were still in Orvieto. Saturday we had to be up at 4:30 AM for the long trip home.

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Italy was such an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Traveling to a new country and being able to experience all the different things they have to offer and the difference in the culture and everything they do is a life changing experience. There are so many different things that I learned through my experience traveling abroad. I had never ever been on a train before coming to Italy and afterwards I had been on more than I could count, but that is how they get around. It is so much different than America in so many ways the transportation being just one. They rely so much on public transportation where as myself coming from the middle of Kansas rely on no public transportation at all. Getting used to the food and meal times was also a change for me. Italians eat late and do not snack, they have so many rules that we in America do not have. They also only eat Italian food, you rarely see anything other than Italian food unless you are in a very touristy area. In America you can get whatever type of food whenever you want whether it be Italian, American, Chinese, Mexican, and so much more. Not going to lie I myself got pretty tired of just eating Italian just because I am used to such a variety of different things. A lot of the foods we have here they do not have in Italy or they are a lot different such as ranch, you can not find ranch hardly anywhere in Italy. The pop is also so much different. They have very few kinds and what they do have tastes nothing like American Coke. There were so many other things that were so much different it would take so long to explain. I am so happy I was able to live and study in a place such as Orvieto, because I was really able to get that Italian culture where as if you were in Rome or Florence you would not have gotten that experience because it is so touristy. I am so excited to take my experiences abroad and learn from them and would love to be able to travel to some other countries outside of America as well.