First Impressions of Italy

From the moment my feet touched the ground in Italy I've been lost in a state of disbelief and wonder. The fact that such foreign and new experiences to me are commonplace and perhaps even boring to the locals is something that I can hardly wrap my head around. Hearing children speak a language that I can't even understand is a humbling situation that I've never come into contact before. Food that is infinitely better than anything I've eaten is sold in every restaurant and each meal is a new and exciting adventure in itself. While in the United States I considered wine to be divided into two groups: white and red. Here in Italy every glass is filled with a new, distinct flavor. Back home I would stick to familiar dishes when ordering in a restaurant but here I'm willing to try anything, especially when the locals recommend them. While walking the streets of Spoleto I may receive a glance or two that shows a dislike for a "tourist" such as myself but many of the Italians I've encountered are rather friendly and pass by with a happy "buongurno" or "ciao." Pictures just cannot truly capture the feeling of walking through streets and structures hundreds of years old, it saddens me that for many of my friends and family pictures is all they will ever see.