Friends! It’s been a while since I wrote on ye ol’ blog. But I figured for those of you who followed along on my cooking quest of the past year, I owed you a refresher on what’s been filling my time. So here we go!

Life update: this summer Luke and I will be spending a whole month in Rome.

(Pending the pandemic!) I am BEYOND giddy about it.

After a whole year of reading about Italian history, food, and culture, cooking its traditional recipes region by region, devoting an entire year of my life to the country’s beauty and legacy - I’m going to experience it again for myself! This time, with a newfound love and admiration for all that Italy is.

And even more exciting, we’re slow traveling in the one city that means the most to me. Rome.

My LOVE FOR Rome

There’s no delicate way to frame this… but Rome awakes my soul.

New readers may not know my history with the Eternal City, but it was the first destination in the first summer trip I had ever taken in my adulthood. That summer changed my life. It reframed my worldview, it shifted my perspective. And it all started with a month in Rome.

My adoration for Rome is beyond words. There is no secret alchemy of words that can summarize its beauty, its age, its heartbeat, and (now more than ever) just how important the city is to me and my story. Rome, to me, is everything. Trust me, I’ve tried to write Rome a love poem and the words still fall short of my feelings (feel free to read it here). If you get it, you get it.

I cannot wait to walk to the Ponte Sisto and grab a slice of crispy pizza al taglio. I cannot wait to wake up early in the morning to grab an espresso at the bar, the far-off scent of cigarettes and banter between the locals wafting around me. I can’t wait for the graffiti scattered around the city, just as haphazardly placed as the ancient sites dot the city’s layout. I cannot wait to see the yellow glow off of the black cobblestoned streets late at night. I can’t wait to see the Vatican from the Tiber Riber, glowing like a full moon.

Simply put, experiencing Italy again is going to be monumental… especially after one full year of educating myself on Italian food culture, regional histories, and its artists. I want to thank each and every one of you who encouraged me during my Roaming Italy project. Your support and encouragement have fueled this passion into something so, so important to me. And, for those wondering, the journey of learning about Italy hasn’t stopped…

The Importance of A Pre-Trip Bucket List

I believe in educated adventures. That said, I encourage every traveler to devote a period of their time really invested in learning about their next destination.

For me, that means making a pre-trip bucket list. This pre-trip bucket list makes me a better traveler and makes my experiences in my destinations all the more meaningful and enriching. This list of actionable tasks gets me motivated and so excited. (I mean, the joy of just crossing something off of a list makes my little heart so happy!) And all the while, I’m learning!

So, what’s on my pre-trip bucket lists? Simply put, a little of everything.

Here are some general tasks I believe every pre-trip bucket list should have:

Language Studies - Devoting at least one full month to learning the local language.
History Studies - Gaining an understanding of the ancient and modern history of your destination. This can be through books, television shows, podcasts, and more!
Cultural Studies - Deepening your knowledge of customs, traditions, holidays, and lifestyles that make your destination special and nuanced.
Food Studies - Cooking at least three traditional recipes from your destination, while also learning about important food culture details, important ingredients, and customs around food.
Movies & Media Studies - Watching movies and other forms of media that are culturally significant, or are set in your upcoming destination.

I’m gonna put it out there, I LOVE making pre-trip bucket lists and I’d be happy to help you make one! Just shoot me an email!

So… what’s on my pre-Rome bucket list? Glad you asked!

My Pre-Rome Bucket List

Here you go, friends! Before jetting off to Rome, I’ll be completing this pre-trip bucket list… filled with all sorts of fun tasks and to-dos! You may notice that I’m covering some interesting tasks. Let me explain…

I’ve separated my bucket list into categories: Learn, Watch/Listen, Speak, Cook/Taste. I believe these categories diversify my studies!
I’m cooking at least 20 recipes from Katie Parla’s book “Tasting Rome.” Katie is a goddess to me, I’ve paged through her cookbooks for hours, inspired, hungry and so excited to get into the kitchen. I hand-selected these 20 recipes I wanted to challenge myself with, as well as some staple dishes you just have to have when in Rome. It’s been SO fun to try to master these. I know when I taste them in person, I’ll be relishing each bite!
I’m devoting a lot of my time to Italian language studies, using both Duolingo and Pimsleur Language Learning Tapes. I’m a great listener/comprehender of Italian. Speaking? That’s my next challenge.
My studies cover both Ancient Roman history, as well as modern history too! That includes an overview of the gods and goddesses, architectural wonders of the new and old world, the role of women in Ancient Rome too, as well as post-WWII modern history of Rome!
I’ve included some personal topics of interest, such as delving into Cy Twombly’s relationship with Rome (my favorite artist), as well as learning about major Italian fashion houses and other artists/wanderers who found themselves inspired by the Eternal City.

This is a list that is special to me and my interests… and they’re just the beginning! The great thing about carving out this pre-trip list is that I have room to grow and expand on different topics and ideas that inspire me as time goes on!

Oh yes, and to hold myself accountable, I’m sharing my journey on TikTok! I’d love to have you join me there!

Writing this little blog update has made this upcoming trip all the more real to me. I hope you’re ready for more recipes, more learning, more language, and more love and admiration for Italian culture. I’d love to have you follow my journey on Instagram and TikTok too!