Italy Rocks!

I love Italy! If you know me, you know that is an understatement. If you don't know me and you continue to read this you will find out just how deep my obsession runs. I decided to try and write all my knowledge about Italy because it's so different than the romanticized Tuscan versions well played in books and movies. My Italy is completely different... my knowledge comes from a desire to understand the language, culture, and people. I have been on a couple of trips, I have studied the language for several years, in short... I get Italy. I grew up in Massachusetts with Italian-Americans and prior to 2000 most of my Italian knowledge came from there and Godfather movies. Needless to say I was limited in my point of view. Over the years I have come to know the difference between Italian cuisine and Italian-American cuisine (Olive Garden anyone?), I have cleared up many myths about Italians and confirmed plenty in the process, and mostly I have gained an understanding and appreciation for the real Italy- not the mythic, tourist version. And it's a cool place- warts and all. So I am going to document my random musings and experiences and I hope you find them interesting and even amusing. I am going to try to organize my thoughts in to something that sort of makes sense but I did call this "random" quite intentionally. My first entry (after this one) will be some of my favorite travel experiences. Then probably food. possibly I'll throw in some language lessons. Maybe recommended reading/movies. Something random for sure.

"Open my heart and you will see, graved inside of it- Italy"~ Robert Browning