I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Italy 3 times, and I cling to the hope that there will be more trips in my future! I traveled to Rome, Polignano a Mare, Savelletri, and Positano on my first visit. One beautifully sunny morning, while sitting on the rooftop patio of my AIRB&B in Polignano a Mare, I chatted with my host while devouring his nona's homemade breakfast pastries and staring aimlessly into the Adriatic Sea. We discussed the differences between the American and Italian ways of life, and my host said, "We live a pleasant idleness." That comment and the ease and nonchalance with which it was said have inspired me ever since. My second trip brought me to Italy to hike the five towns on the Italian Riviera coastline called Cinque Terre. Homemade pasta, fresh seafood, limoncello, and multiple gelato’s, it was the hiking only Italy could offer. I was then off for a brief stop in Florence before heading to a yoga retreat in Tuscany, with Montefioralle as the base and side visits to Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Panzano, and Greve in Chiani. It was dubbed a yoga retreat but may have had a hidden agenda as a seven-day Tuscan wine-tasting trip. Crow pose and Chianti, if you will. My third visit was short while completing the Tour du Mont Blanc. I hiked into Italy via the Col de la Seigne and spent a night in the Cabane du Combal hut, which was at the base of the massive Miage Glacier. I then begrudgingly made my way via a 4,000-ft descent into Courmayeur, where I also spent a rest day. I then hiked back up and out to spend one final night at the iconic and classic Refugio Bonatti before hiking into Switzerland.