Italy, one of the most popular travel destinations across the globe, and over time this hasn’t changed one bit. Why is that? Easy, it’s home to outrageously delicious food, unrivalled history and beautiful scenery along with much more, but why list them all and leave nothing to the imagination? It’s time to get excited.
Italy’s high season is in the summer, welcoming countless tourists from around the world. At that time of year, Italy is blazing hot so you can relax on stunning beaches, go hiking and enjoy a slice of the best pizza you’ll ever have. It’s perfection, really.
The only problem with booking Italy during this ever-so-perfect seasons is that you need to do so in advance. That’s where the big questions come in, how do you keep yourself excited about it every single day leading up to your flight?
That is also easy.
Here are 7 things you can do right now to get yourself as excited as possible about heading to Italy.
1. Eat pizza, pasta and gelato (but mostly pizza)
If there’s one thing Italy is known for, it’s food. Some of our favourite everyday eats are delectable masterpieces of Italian cuisine. Sure, the pizza, pasta and gelato you get at home aren’t anywhere near the level you’ll get there, but you can find some awesome and authentic Italian restaurants in most major cities. If you’re feeling especially ambitious try making your own based on classic Italian recipes to really get in the mood.
2. Watch all the movies (or try to)
This could be an overwhelming task since there are so many great movies out there that take place in Italy. On the bright side though, this just means you can watch as many films as you want to get you ready to discover the beautiful country. So, what movies do we suggest you start with? It depends on who you are, so we compiled a mini list of our favourites.
For the romantics: Eat Pray Love, Roman Holiday, Letters to Juliet, To Rome, With Love
For the action-crazed: The Italian Job, Casino Royale, The Tourist
For the thinkers: Angels & Demons, The Talented Mr. Ripley
3. Listen to the best Italian music
No matter what kind of music you listen to, you’re bound to be entranced by the sounds of Italy. Incredible voices singing in one of the most romantic languages in the world will have you lost in a daze, day-dreaming no matter where you are. While you’re in Italy, you’ll still hear popular hits from across the globe, but you’ll also hear a variety of other music types like opera all the way to instrumental classical sounds.
Music is a big part of Italian culture so getting yourself familiar with some famous Italian artists will do you good. If you need a starting point, listen to Andrea Bocelli or Mina.
4. Practice your Pisa poses on another building
You’ll realize when you get to the Leaning Tower of Pisa that it’s actually a lot harder to get creative with your poses. So, I suggest practising on another building to get your moves down. Now I know what you’re thinking, that sounds kind of weird, but who cares? It’s fun and to be perfectly honest, it’ll get you incredibly excited to head to Pisa and actually see the real thing.
A lot of people spend most of their time just trying to capture the perfect photo and practising before will save you a ton of time that you can later spend indulging the insatiable craving for pizza you’ll have developed. Being able to quickly snap your pose means that you’ll actually have time to take in your surroundings too.
5. Make hand gestures a part of your daily life
If you’ve ever met anyone with an Italian background then you know hand gestures are basically part of the language. When you’re speaking with people in Italy, or simply just people watching, you quickly realize it’s almost as if it’s embedded in the culture or some sort of unspoken Italian rule. Eventually, you learn, it really is the best way to communicate. When you start practising your hand gestures you’ll find that they eventually come naturally and you’re friends might even catch on making it much more fun.
6. Learn a bit of Italian
You may have your hand gestures spot on, but you should still learn a bit of the language. This might seem daunting at first, but when you’re about to visit a new country it can take your excitement to a whole new level. Start small and download a few apps like Duolingo or grab a phrase book to get you started. Then sit back with a glass of wine or a slice of pizza and repeat the beautiful words in the Italian language. Magnifico!
7. Learn all the history you can (and be amazed)
Yes, history can be boring, but when it comes to Italian history, it’s a whole new world. From Pompeii to Rome to Venice, Italy’s rich history is sure to keep you fascinated. Reading and learning about the history of the places you’ll see will get you even more excited to go. Visiting a country like Italy without any historical context can be a bit overwhelming, so pick up a book or two or watch a crash course on YouTube and prepare yourself for the wonders that await you.
Having a rough starting point will help make everything you see and learn all make more sense. Ready to learn about Gladiators, the Italian Renaissance and much, much more? Why not start now?
