What really happened in Italy

The stuff I didn’t put on Instagram

When a person or experience is especially precious to me, I tend to keep it off Instagram. It’s why you almost never see my partner Casey, my family, my best friends, personal milestones like my brother’s wedding, my little self-care activities, or even really my cats. Of course, some personal experiences feel made for Instagram—too good not to share at all. Like the three months I spent writing and eating (mostly eating) in Italy last spring. Tell me, what kind of super-will-powered monk could spend a whole 90 days in one of Earth’s most breathtaking locales and not post even a little pasta carousel on IG?? I did entertain the option of going totally dark on social media during those few months abroad, but yeah, no, that turned out to be impossible. Italy was made to be seen.