It's only fair that I take a minute to evaluate what I did, and did not check off on my list. And maybe an explanation or two...
THE LIST
- make out on a vespa this probably could've happened the night I did the wine tour and met my Australian friends, but ALAS my stomach had other ideas...
- one night stand ("yolo") I'll address this one at the end...
- find an italian 5 years younger and one ten years old and get gelato Oddly specific. I nailed the gelato portion though..
- get invited and go to Sunday dinner at someone's house CHECK!
- go topless on a nude beach I TRIED! I actually WANTED to do this one too!
- stomp grapes Not as easy to find this opportunity in Italy as you might think.
- drink a bottle of wine with a winemaker CHECK!
- play soccer with the locals CHECK! (at school with the kids)
- "You will be traveling with 3 condoms..should said 3 condoms not be used, you will share them with italians" I came back with them. Fail. Clearly didn't use them, and forgot to dole them out. Oops!
- go horseback riding Unfortunately, no. I'll add this to another list!
Ok, let's address the elephant in the room. I obviously did not check off the one night stand. Despite much pressure from friends and the good intentions behind this task, I did not encounter any prospects or opportunities that I felt compelled to do so. To be honest, most of the Italian and other European men I met and chatted with, I was not interested in recruiting for this gig. Tight pants, overly aggressive, and in the case of "Steve," sounded like a bit like Dracula. With the exception of Tim, the hot airport guy, I just wasn't interested. And we all know how that turned out. I'll be ready when I am, and on my own terms. Perhaps there just isn't room for a task like that on my list.
I do however, feel accomplished in what I did check off, and the things I pushed myself to do out of my comfort zone. This was only the beginning. Onto the next list...
THE LIST
("don't come back until you do them all") ok, this was a tad unrealistic.
- make out on a vespa this probably could've happened the night I did the wine tour and met my Australian friends, but ALAS my stomach had other ideas...
- one night stand ("yolo") I'll address this one at the end...
-make out with someone that doesn't speak any English Ok, SO MUCH KISSING. none of my non English speaking prospects were appealing...
- Find a blonde italian and take a pic with them CHECK!
- find an italian 5 years younger and one ten years old and get gelato Oddly specific. I nailed the gelato portion though..
- get invited and go to Sunday dinner at someone's house CHECK!
- go topless on a nude beach I TRIED! I actually WANTED to do this one too!
- stomp grapes Not as easy to find this opportunity in Italy as you might think.
- drink a bottle of wine with a winemaker CHECK!
- play soccer with the locals CHECK! (at school with the kids)
- make your own pasta and cannoli ("interpret that how you please.") wish I had been able to take a cooking class!
- get dressed up and go out CHECK!
- get a photo take in cinque terre CHECK!
- see live music CHECK! (Mr. Stevie Wonder and Backstreet Boys)
- pic with something of Napoleon on Elba Island No, but I did replace this one with a better grand adventure to Sansone Beach!
- selfie with old hilarious italian CHECK! (this was one of my favorites!)
- pic with a dog in basket on bike ("you're gona have to be bold.") CHECK!
- Lady & the tramp reenactment with a total italian dog ("aw yeah.") What does this even mean?
- learn this in italian, "my name is Lauren, my hair is long, my boobs are small, and I'd like for you to buy me a drink" (drink can be anything that helps you complete this list) This I did learn from the tour guide on the Taste of Tuscany Wine Tour van ride back to Florence. I did not, however, use it.
- "You will be traveling with 3 condoms..should said 3 condoms not be used, you will share them with italians" I came back with them. Fail. Clearly didn't use them, and forgot to dole them out. Oops!
- pub crawl CHECK! (extra points for joining the Bachelor Party?)
- PS if you find a blind AND blonde italian the rest of this list is considered done (must prove blindness) Yeah, NO
- bring back 7 peroni coasters Fail.
- learn how to make limoncello I drank homemade limoncello with Gianni and he may or may not have given tips on how he makes it, but it was all in Italian!
- go wine tasting CHECK!
- go to italian rivera CHECK! (Camogli)
- go for runs in picturesque spots in Italy CHECK! (despite the 95 degree weather...)
- go for runs in picturesque spots in Italy CHECK! (despite the 95 degree weather...)
- go skinny dipping at night Fail.
- cook an italian meal for an italian CHECK? (Does cooking MYSELF an Italian meal count?)
- take a pic with someone named Augustine (my grandfather's name) or last name puco/puca This would've been amazing, but I didn't meet anyone with those names.
- send a message in a bottle MAJOR CHECK!
- frolic in a field of wild and/or sunflowers CHECK!
- dance with a stranger to live music outside Dance with a stranger? CHECK! just not to live music outside
- go horseback riding Unfortunately, no. I'll add this to another list!
Ok, let's address the elephant in the room. I obviously did not check off the one night stand. Despite much pressure from friends and the good intentions behind this task, I did not encounter any prospects or opportunities that I felt compelled to do so. To be honest, most of the Italian and other European men I met and chatted with, I was not interested in recruiting for this gig. Tight pants, overly aggressive, and in the case of "Steve," sounded like a bit like Dracula. With the exception of Tim, the hot airport guy, I just wasn't interested. And we all know how that turned out. I'll be ready when I am, and on my own terms. Perhaps there just isn't room for a task like that on my list.
I do however, feel accomplished in what I did check off, and the things I pushed myself to do out of my comfort zone. This was only the beginning. Onto the next list...