I’m the kind of girl who likes to live like a local. And that’s what I’ve done on every single trip since.

I’ve hired a car on every one of my Italian adventures except one, when I was staying in Milan for a week, and relied on my tiny size 3 feet and trains to get around.

We took boat rides to Portofino and sat at beachside restaurants for long lunches. Visited museums and galleries to escape the midday sun, and cooled down with mouthwatering Gelato after class while we prepared for the late evening performances.