An Italian secret

“I am spending my semester in Italy.”

Words I have said one too many times. Time after time, I would explain to people my choice, then a conversation of people’s expectations and perceptions would soon follow.

The most common statement goes along the lines of how every meal I consume would consist of pizza hand tossed by an Italian man with a bulging, round belly, a dark thick mustache that curls on the end, and he would have a bit of a funny, yet adorable accent as he said the word “Peeeza.”

They then would go on to expect every history lesson would be taught at the Coliseum, and every love story would start in Tuscany.

Although this experience may apply to some, I found my first week in Italy quite different. Paderno offers a much simpler life, where the day begins with the roosters of the locals awakening the town, and freshly brewed lattes from the local coffee shop fuels the energy to start another day.

Paderno is squeezed between Mount Grappa and the mountain range, and the Italian countryside.

The mountains gives a sense of adventure, a luring unknown. Some mornings it is hidden by the dewy clouds covering the top, only exposing the base. While other mornings, it is clear, allowing those living below the opportunity to see the prominence this mountain holds. Those are the days you take an extra moment to stop, gaze, and understand that a picture cannot capture the majesty of this mountain. No lens can describe the enormous change in landscape as flat lands shoots upward to create a wall against the countryside. This past Sunday, the daring took advantage of the cliffs and were paragliding off, using the mountain as the starting point of their adventure, and the countryside as the ending.

The countryside allows one to soak in a life of easiness and clarity. The sun compliments the miles and miles of lush green vegetation. The green sprouts from the farms and wineries, and from a far all blend together, yet up close, each area contributes a unique food or drink to the area. Mixed in is cobblestone roads, complimented with cream Italian buildings, keeping it’s authentic countryside feel, without the need of modern buildings.

Paderno is more of an Italian oasis, where the humbleness of a small town, is tucked in between the mountains and countryside, and allows those who spend a morning seeing the sunrise to truly feel it’s charm.