If you haven’t scrolled through your feed and seen a Euro Summer takeover, I’m not sure what side of social media you are on. The last time I stepped off a plane in Europe was two years ago when I visited London, Paris, and Barcelona. That trip triggered a chain of events in my life that you wouldn’t believe.

I challenged myself to up the bar for my next European trip. Immediately I knew I had to make Italy and Greece my next stops. I’d been dying to travel to Italy since my first slice of pizza. And we can thank The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for my obsession with Greece.

So, welcome to My Euro Summer 2 (#ES2) itinerary. The first half of my trip was spent walking around Rome, lunch in Pompeii, beach bumming on the Amalfi Coast, and shopping in Capri. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of my trip to Italy. When you’re done, check out the second half of my trip, where we head to Greece. That blog post can be found here.

When in Rome. . .

Landing at Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport after eight hours in the air without sleep set the tone for the rest of my day. First issue: my suitcase was missing. Once I found it, I couldn’t help but notice that the handle had been completely removed. Second, it was hot as hell in Rome. I landed at 6 a.m., and it was already 75º F. But when in Rome, do what the Romans do and I was not letting anything kill my vibe, completely.

The ride from the airport to my hotel, located closer to the inner city, took over an hour, and check-in took even longer, that was the third issue. (If you want a full breakdown of the differences between American and European hotels, click here.) To kill time, we visited a nearby grocery store and got some room bites. I love going to grocery stores in other countries; it’s always fun comparing snacks! And my hangry vibes were diminished. It was also at this point that I accepted the fact that Rome is by far the hottest city I’ve ever visited. There wasn’t a cloud – not a tree in sight to provide shade, just beautiful hot stone and marble everywhere. Thank god I had fan. Do not come here without one. I don’t care if you look like a tourist, you will regret not having one.

Despite my initial trials and tribulations, I enjoyed Rome. Over the next few days, I ate my weight in gelato, pasta, wine, espresso, pizza, and my new favorite, Limoncello Spritz. I sipped Bellinis in front of the Pantheon before heading to a pasta-making class. I made a few wishes at the Trevi Fountain (for more on that, click here), shopped in Colonna, and wandered around Trastevere.

For more information, check out my deep dive into what I did in Rome.

Whats Poppin’ Pompeii?

After a night of good vibes and drinks in Trastevere, it was time to say goodbye to Rome. We traveled on a charter bus for two hours from Rome to Pompeii. For those who don’t know, Pompeii is a preserved ancient Roman city in Campania, Italy. This city was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

I recommend adding this to your list if you’re a history lover. However, comma, if you are not a history lover, do yourself a favor and skip this. I’m a history lover and even found myself delirious by the end. The heat, combined with no shade and, once again, hot stone, drained me. But some retail therapy and a chicken Caesar salad revived me.

If you want more Pompeii, I’ll give you more Pompeii; just click here.

How Am I on the Amalfi Coast Right Now?

I unlocked a new flex. Island-hopping off of the Amalfi Coast felt like a music video. To a poorer degree, I now know how Jay Z felt in Upgrade U. Sorrento, and Positano will see me again in this lifetime. The Amalfi Coast was the best part of the Italian leg of the trip. The views were amazing; the hills made it feel like each block in Positano was stacked on top of each other. The photographer in me couldn’t ignore all the compositions the landscape gave naturally.

If you follow me on my personal Instagram, hopefully, you watched my IG Story public service announcement about having fun on the beach in Positano. If your type of fun consists of champagne, pizza, cocktails, shots, and more champagne, then listen up. Positano is made up of hills and stairs, stairs with hills, and hills with stairs, and more stairs. So be demure, be mindful because you might have to walk up miles of stairs while buzzed with fun.

Get all the details on my time in Sorrento & Positano here.

Who Me, in Capri? 🍋

Welcome to The Island of Lemon. Come to Capri if you want to feel classy, elegant, boujie. Catching a ferry from Sorrento to Capri is worth the journey. The small island getaway in the Bay of Naples has been a hot spot for celebrities since the Roman days. Capri is stocked with luxury shopping experiences, 5-star hotels, and world-class restaurants. If you want to know more about my time in Capri, check out my blog post here.

Capri was the perfect way to end my time in Italy. I shopped, ate lemon everything, walked through the garden, and explored the Blue Grotto. This moment felt like a movie, but be prepared for hills and walking when you plan your trip here.

Just My Thoughts

Italy was beautiful. The architecture, the bright colors, the warmth- I truly felt like I had stepped on a movie set. This trip made me want to add more Italian cities to my list of places to visit. I did not go during the peak summer months; the country was crowded, the airport was crowded, and everything was overrun with tourists, but I still enjoyed myself. Seeing people as excited as me about exploring Italy was cute. Did I mention that I had to check a lady at McDonald’s in Rome, chile? That is a blog post for another day, but in the meantime, enjoy my vlog of the beautiful vibes I captured while touring Italy.

Italy Vlog