from idaho to italy(:: genova; city upon a hill.

have you ever seen Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? if yes, let's just say that genova, italy is the equivalent of where lena goes in greece. beautiful old buildings, splashed with the warm hues of tuscan yellow, strawberry red, and faded orange litter the hillside filled with green trees, right at the cusp of the mediterranean sea.

maybe i should explain a little. i went to torino to visit my friend emilie, and then we ventured to rivoli, which is a suburb of torino and where emilie lives. after sleeping there, we caught the first train to genova in the morning. two hours later, i was near the sea. my sea. i've always had this thing for ports and the ocean -- maybe it's from growing up in the foothills of idaho, 10 hours or so from the pacific ocean. anyways, we arrived at about ten-thirty in the morning and spent the rest of the day going to the famous acquarium and just randomly exploring the streets of genova. it was magnificent. this is what i absolutely adore about italy; being able to venture from my house in the snow-peaked italian alps to the warm and fishy town of genova in around four hours by train. it is amazing. in italy, they see four hours as a long time to spend traveling anywhere -- little do they know that just to drive to my aunt's house in california takes twelve hours. so i'm not complaining. for me, genova was my italian city upon a hill -- the only place i've been to so far that has been totally diverse from what i ever see in the united states or idaho. it was my italian greece.

anyways, i really loved genova. it is so different from anything i ever see in idaho, and the idea that a friend and i could just decide to take a day trip to a new city is so inspiring, something i will definitely miss about italy. i literally cannot believe i've been here for three months. it really has gone by so fast, and i know the next two months i have will go by a lot faster. before i know it, i'll be back in idaho. sure, i'll have a permanent gelato food baby and wount bee aeble two speel nethng right, but i'll be back in idaho. the idea of going home to AP classes, my job, and college applications is so unappealing. i can't wait to see my family and friends, but after the inital excitement of being back, i don't know what to expect. will i feel more independant? less independant? will i get back into the same routine? do i want to be in the same routine? all these questions await me when i return home, but for now that is all they will be: questions. if there is one thing i've learned from living here, it is that things have a way of straightening themselves out. with that, i leave you with pictures of genova and "happy easter". i'll update about sardegna soon enough(: