This summer in Rome has been a weird one; we are never 100% sure what the travel restrictions are, or even just the rules to enter a restaurant. Even now, you have to be vaccinated or you have to have gotten a COVID test within the last couple of days to enter a public facility. That being said, with a little research, it is possible and surprisingly easy to travel around Italy and to most parts of Europe right now.
The time has come, ladies & gentlemen. Italy has opened its borders to American tourists for the first time since March 2020!!!
Since we haven’t been able to travel between regions in Italy for quite some time now, I have been spending a lot of time on Airbnb.com and other booking sites looking for a potential “staycation” spot — see my post on planning your ultimate staycation here! While I have done a staycation here and there over the past year, I have accumulated quite a few really intriguing places to stay in Rome that I just had to share with you!
Okay, I will be real with you all. I really thought that just simply living in another country would help me become fluent in another language naturally. While that may be true in some cases, when you work in English, live with English-speaking roommates, and spend an entire nationwide lockdown guarded against human interaction and then transition into a world where human interaction is minimal….well, you can connect the dots here, I am not fluent in Italian.
Living in Italy used to be scary and a bit of a culture shock, but once you know the Italian way, it becomes much less intimidating and a lot more fun! I have lived in Italy for a year now (I cannot believe it has been a year) and I have learned a lot about myself, life, and culture. I definitely don’t live exactly like an Italian, though: I work completely in English, I work with people from all over the world, and so far, I have lived in 3 different apartments…going on 4.
Guys. Making delicious homemade pasta is way easier than I thought it was going to be. Now, I am sure there are other more intricate ways of making your own pasta, but this one turned out great and I can’t wait to make it again!
As promised on my Insta-Stories, this is the first post in my Italian pasta step-by-step series!! If you try one of these recipes, post on your story and tag me (@chlo__e___) I want to see!! I am actually really excited about this because I hold food very close to my heart and it makes me even happier to be able to share this with someone! I don’t know about you guys, but I have been cooking a LOT more than usual in this quarantine and I am honestly running out of meal ideas so I hope this gives you some inspiration for a meal this week.
Redhead, Set, Go 