If you have a smart phone, then I’m sure you are probably familiar with the magic that is the step counting app. Now, I am by no means a fitness guru, but since being in Italy, I have noticed a shocking trend with my step counter. When I was back in the U.S. I averaged about 6,000 steps (on a day that I was out and about quite a lot) and would maybe make it to 10,000 (if I was having a particularly fun time on a Friday night). On that note, let’s take a look at my step count record I achieved about a month into my study abroad experience…..

And that number is not by any means an anomaly. In fact, on a lazy day, my step count is generally a minimum of 10,000 steps. So why, according to my phone, am I suddenly a seemingly active person? When you are in a place like Italy, there is no better way to get the full experience than walking… and walking… and walking.

For instance, about a 30-minute walk outside of Sorrento, Italy, lies a fun little set of ruins called Regina Giovanna. I have been trying to make a point of making it there in the evenings lately to sit and watch the sunsets. And oh… what a sunset!

Even when exploring another city on a free weekend, or in my cross-European spring break, I like to make it a point to walk to as many places as possible. This takes up a lot of time, so people often opt to take advantage of the cheap public transportation available. But in my opinion, some of the greatest things I have seen were found when I was looking for something else. In the wise words of Dr. Brian Quinn, “You are never lost as long as you are always willing to change your destination.”

One fine night in Florence, I was walking around with two of my close friends with no destination in mind. After an hour or two of aimless wandering, we suddenly realized that we were right next to the Ponte Vecchio! In that one night, we also stumbled upon about 20 other internationally renowned works of architecture from the Renaissance period (if you didn’t already figure this out… architecture major).

The beautiful thing about Italy is that there are so many things to see, you can’t plan to see them all. However, your journey to see one thing can often lead to you seeing 10 other amazing things you didn’t realize existed! Some friends and I visited Verona, with only Juliet’s balcony in mind as a must-see. What we found on our walks around the city consisted of countless ruins, a few phenomenal restaurants, and a piazza filled with exciting shops and sites!

I am a firm believer that great things happen when you let them. The more time I spend in this amazing place, the more I realize that the best adventures happen when you aren’t looking for them.