It happened while I was eating tortellini con ragù alla bolognese at a restaurant along a narrow side street. Sipping red wine and listening to the sounds of an old man’s guitar at the corner. I look at the buildings surrounding me; the old stone a bright orange with the shine of the street lights. I look up and see the night sky an unfamiliar color. The contrast of the orange buildings against the sky creates a dark purplish color unlike anything I have seen before.

That’s when it clicked. That’s when the drowsiness of the past 3 days is thrown out the window and I truly realize where I am.

I’m in Italy. And the adventure has begun.