First Person

He had to take an athletic leap off the pavement to kiss me, his six-foot princess.

"When are you coming home?" is a question that punctuates my Rome life.

When your wife leaves you, your world can suddenly acquire a surreal feel.

My nights out in Italy consisted mostly of being turned down by pretty Italian girls.

I love Italian women for the pride they take in their appearance.

My curiosity was piqued by “Bruno” — actually, it was the brown eyes that did it.

As I was not contemplating the end of my young life, people called the police.

After a two-year absence, I returned to Rome on a half-empty Alitalia flight. The plane door had closed, and I had [...]

The U.S. study-abroad programs I know in Florence do their best to protect their students from culture shock. But take away all risk and challenge from a study-abroad experience and you effectively remove any chance for a real intercultural exchange. Opt for 100 percent security and you kill what living and studying abroad should be about.

The Italian word for slip never alludes to practical function or sexuality.

She wore a simple white silk dress, stiletto heels, was slightly tan, and smelled like the beach.

Scraping as much money together as I possibly could, I followed her to Naples.