4th of July!

Happy 4th of July
Today was amazing!!
Shea and I headed to the ferry to travel 45 minutes to the island of Capri! I slept the whole way because I have been so exhausted, and I take every chance I get to sleep, haha. When I woke up, we were pulling up to the island. Let me tell you, it was beautiful!! It was just like the postcards (you’ll hear me say that a lot). There was the crystal clear, bright blue water, leading up to big rocks with small boats tied to docks. There were shops and houses that climbed up the hill that were painted bright colors! It was sunny and hot, and you could see the clouds surrounding the top of mountains on Capri! We got on a bus that took us up to the very top of Capri, known as Anacapri. The bus ride up was the scariest thing of my life! It was a one-lane street, a crazy man driving super fast, cars coming head on and slamming their breaks, honking, steep edges, and sharp curves. The trip back down was just as scary. When we got to the top, there were a few cafés and shops, and mainly tourists. Capri is muchhhh nicer and cleaner than Naples. We got on a chairlift (one at a time) and rode 12 minutes up to the top. You could almost see the entire side of the island from the lift, along with boats far away in the ocean and the tops of houses and buildings below. It was breathtaking and I got some great pictures! Once we got off at the top, it was incredible. It’s not like a huge mountain top where you walk everywhere with no steep ledges or anything. No, it was a small mountain top about half the size of a football field, with rails around the edge, dropping off straight into the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea! There were some tall mountain points of Capri that were covered by clouds, which made it look so much cooler! There was a small bar that served lemon cello (which they are known for on Capri, and we tried some and it was great!) and gelato and other snacks/drinks. We sat and hung out, took pictures, and then got back on the lift down and headed to lunch. Half way down we stopped by a random set of stairs. When we walked up, there was an outdoor restaurant full of people! The view was amazing and the food was great! We had cokes in bottles (always tastes better), ravioli and pasta with basil and tomato sauce, then fish with a salad, and then sweet cream gelato! It was very filling and relaxing. We took the bus back down to the bottom, and decided to take a boat tour. It was about 15 Euros and 10 of us piled on a hydrofoil. We toured around the island and just soaked up the sun. After rocking on waves and going at a fun speed, we went under an arch formed from the rocks, went in a cave, and saw people jumping off of cliffs. We stopped for a little while and jumped off the boat and swam! The water was such a different feeling than any water that I’ve been in. It was really salty and much easier to float. It was so clear and smooth! It was also refreshing from being in the heat. We went back, shopped around and hung out. In one of the stores, there were samples of these delicious almonds covered in toffee and chocolate. I took a handful and then later we went back and snacked on them some more. I saw a small bag of them for sale and it was 10 Euros!! I think I ate about 15 Euro worth in samples… Hehe. Then we hoped on the ferry around 4:30 and headed back to muggy Naples.

After resting a little in the cabin, we went to a restaurant close to the ship. We didn’t want to walk very far and we were starving! It was called Trattoria Medina. We had the Caprese pizza again, and it was just as good as the other place! Italy’s pizza truly tastes better than pizza from anywhere else I’ve gone! I wish I could share some to those who haven’t experienced it! We aren’t allowed to bring leftovers onto the ship, only prepackaged and sealed items :(

This is the hardest experience of my life. The way I am treated is definitely nothing I’m used to or have experienced. This is all worth every penny and minute of it, but I can’t wait to get back to America and be in my comfort zone. This trip gets you completely out of your comfort zone, even if you attempt to stay in it. I miss everyone so much! This is so hard to do and it’s only the second country. It’s only going to get harder and I hope I’m ready for it. It goes by too fast to take in!! All of these changes in clothes, food, communication, money, and the general lifestyle just shake me up and make me so scared and uncomfortable sometimes. It’s an experience that I will never forget, and the things I learn on this trip will never leave me, and I will always be grateful for what I have in America. It’s like when you go to camp, with new friends and a new schedule, you adapt to a new life and you are on your own etc., but 100 times bigger and more realistic. You get a glimpse of what the world could possible be like in other countries that we won’t even be traveling to. I can’t imagine (literally, it’s impossible) what it’s like to know what’s out there in this world unless I go and experience it for myself. Thanks Mom and Dad for making this amazing opportunity possible! It has already been a learning and growing experience and it’s only the second country!