Find bits of Italia when you're stuck in the states...

You know that photo we use on our landing page of our website? Well, it's one of our biggest secrets. 

It looks like we took it in the rolling hills of Tuscany but the truth is that we actually snapped this photo in a friend's backyard... in Southern California! Miles and miles from Italy, but full of all the warmth and vibes of our beloved 2nd home. 

While we find ourselves in month 8 of sheltering at home, and over a year without stepping foot in Italy, we're looking for ways to bring bits of Italia into our home as a comfort and to keep the withdrawals at bay. 

It may not be Italy, but it's pretty dang close!

Some ways I've found to get a taste of Italy while I'm stuck in California...

• Find your Little Italy: This one is definitely harder depending on where you live but if you live near a larger city, track down your local "Little Italy" neighborhood! We've found pretty dang delicious pizza in San Francisco at ours, as well as markets that import all my favorite drinks, treats and cooking ingredients. We go through olive oil really fast in out apartment so buying it in giant metal cans is definitely helping to keep the Italy withdrawals at bay.  Speaking of cooking...
• Cook Italian: Dive into our recipes or google your favorite pasta sauce that you had that one summer years ago! While it may not live up to the memory, it will still be a delicious challenge. Pasta dough and focaccia from scratch are great quarantine activities, and aren't that hard to make yourself.
• Make an aperitivo: An Aperol Spritz is my favorite drink of choice at Aperitivo (read more about Aperitivo hour here), and they're just as easy to make in the states. No Aperol on hand? Pop open some wine! Then grab some peanuts, chips, olives and cheese and you've got yourself a lovely pre-dinner snack. Bonus points if you can eat it outside on a patio to people watch! 
• Scroll on Instagram: This can also definitely hurt but I still love seeing how the leaves are changing and getting a peek at the harvests. Or earlier in the summer when Livia Hengel shared that the cobblestone piazzas in Rome were growing grass due to the lack of tourists marching across them! We may be stuck in lockdown but life in Italy still marches on and I still want to take a peek! 

Another photo we snapped in California that makes us feel like we're home in Italy!

• Shop: Giving the gift of Italy (or receiving) is a wonderful way to support our beloved Italy and ensure it will still be there and ready for us when travel is allowable! Scarves, lace and linen. Pastas, spices and oil. Cheeses and wine. Jewelry, leather goods, ceramics and art. There's SO many things you can buy from businesses based in Italy, or from importers stateside! Italian grocery stores are great place to start to source these goodies. 
• Listen and Watch: Italy music and movies are a great way to transport yourself to bella Italia without the jetlag. You can stream Italian radio stations online or listen to Italian musicians (Jovanotti and Elisa are my personal favorites). Movie wise, if you can find it Benvenuti al Sud is a hilarious movie! Roman Holiday is always a classic. And my personal favorite guilty please is Under the Tuscan Sun. 
• Daydream and Plan: Not traveling to Italy in 2020 was definitely a gut punch but looking ahead and planning for future adventures helps to keep me sane. Talking with our friends at Buccelletti, Lucca Travels and Love Light Yoga Italy to plan for future trips and collaborations. Reading what Katie from Dream of Italy has brewing. And just staying in touch with friends in Italy while we're so far away all helps to get a dose of Italy from my couch in California! 

How are you finding or making bits of Italy in your homes, amici?