Exploring Italy: A Culinary Adventure by Bike

There is only one country I truly want to visit, and that’s Italy. But when I say “visit,” I don’t mean the typical tourist trip where you hit the famous landmarks and snap photos with historical monuments. No, no. I want to bike and eat my way through Italy. If I didn’t see a single tourist attraction, I’d be perfectly okay with that.

My love for Italian food began with my first boyfriend, Salvatore—better known as Sloopy, who, of course, was Italian. Thursday nights were pasta nights at his house, and they quickly became the highlight of my week. The gravy, as his family called it, was the best I had ever tasted. Needless to say, every Thursday I was having dinner at my boyfriend’s place. Holiday meals were another favorite. The traditional Christmas Eve dinner of fish? To die for.

In addition to having an Italian boyfriend, my first job was at an Italian bakery called Maria’s. My bosses—yep, Italian. The owner barely spoke English. All the workers, except for me, were Italian. I was constantly surrounded by Italian cookies, cakes, and pastries. It was a great job and I loved working there and making cannolis. I especially loved dipping my hand into the empty cannoli cream bucket and scraping off the leftovers stuck to the sides. Don’t worry—the bucket was empty! Calm down.

Even my friends at the time were Italian. Imagine that. When I transferred to a public school, the student body was mostly made up of two groups: you were either Black or Italian. I was neither, and I ended up becoming friends with the Italians. I spent so much time with them that I naturally absorbed parts of their culture and even picked up some of the language. That influence has stayed with me throughout my life.

So, in the end, there’s still only one country I want to visit: Italy. Biking and eating my way through the diverse landscapes of Italy sounds like the most authentic way to experience its cuisine and culture. Sure, my plan comes with a few logistical challenges—extra clothing, storing items I collect along the way—but I’m confident I can figure that out.