I can’t believe that it’s actually our last day here. How has it gone by already? Didn’t we just get here? This trip has been the most amazing experience of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The people I’ve met, the places I’ve seen, none of it can be replaced.
We started our day with our last media visit, with Hearst Italia. If you don’t know, Hearst Italia is the company that Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan and Elle are based out of. So this was every young girls dream. We got to tour their offices and talk to pretty much everyone who was willing to talk to us..which was everyone. Similar to other companies on this trip, they were very excited for us to be there and were practically fighting over who got to talk next. It was an amazing experience and one I doubt we’ll ever have again, unless we’re working for one of these magazines.
After we left Hearst, we were given the afternoon to ourselves. Our group decided to head back to the city center (near the Duomo) since we didn’t have that much time the first day we were there. We headed back and had the chance to go to several shops and I also got to try the fried calzone that everyone had been talking about (it was SO good).
Once we were done shopping, we headed back to the hotel so we could get ready for our final dinner. Then, we all met in the lobby and departed to our dinner. It was only a block away, which was good because we were all starving. We got there and were seating in their covered outdoor area. The restaurant was so cute and had so much charm! As an appetizer, I was given a carrot and ginger soup.
It was amazing. It was one of my favorite things I’d eaten on the whole trip. It was different than anything I’d had. The flavor profile was exploding and I finished every last bit. They were also serving freshly baked flatbread, which we kept eating like it was our last meal.
For the 2nd course, I was given an asparagus risotto. Again, amazing. I finished the whole plate and wished I had more. It was the perfect consistency and wasn’t too overpowering in flavor.
For the 3rd course, I had potato cakes and sautéed veggies. The potato cakes were made with horseradish so the flavor was different than what you’d expect. I loved them though! I ate all of the vegetables and almost all of the potato cakes. At that point though, I was so stuffed that I couldn’t eat anymore.
And lastly, my dessert. It wasn’t fruit! It was a sorbet which I think the flavor was grape.
I accompanied my dinner with wine and then champagne was served at the end as we toasted to our last night, and also to the birthday of Emily. We sat and talked for a while with our new tour guide Serena, who was the best. She was so down to earth, funny and just a wonderful person. I’m honestly sad we didn’t get to spend more time with her. She made our last few days a lot of fun.
After dinner, a few of us went right next door to a bar, just to have one more drink. We didn’t stay long, and headed back to the hotel to pack up for the night and get ready for our long journey home.
It’s always a weird feeling when you’re excited to go back home but sad to be leaving somewhere so exciting. Bittersweet would obviously be the best way to describe it, but I’m not so sure. I would have loved to stay longer in Italy. I would love to see more of the countryside and the beautiful beaches. Italy will forever hold a special spot in my heart and I’m forever thankful for this experience. As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, nothing will replace this trip. It’s been a trip of a lifetime and I’m so happy. Thanks to everyone for following me on this journey. Salutí Italia, until next time. Now, onto the next big adventure. My career!