I fell madly, deeply in love with Italy, specifically Naples, Italy. As I pondered my pending departure I tried to come to terms with the fact that I would never taste pizza like the pizza in Naples. Cacio de PePe, my favorite pasta dish, would no longer be a short train ride to Rome.  Daily long walks along the lungomare would cease to exist.  Seeing the plush green landscapes of Tuscany one last time made the thought of my departure nearly unbearable.

Naples was like every woman’s bad boy experience. You know he’s not good for you and the relationship is not going to last long but it sure is fun while you are in it. Naples was my bad boy city. It was wild and untamed and didn’t care what anyone thought of it. It seemed to revel  in being different, breaking all the rules. Naples is sexy, wild and game for just about anything. We date bad boys for the thrill and the excitement.  Naples was like a ride on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride everyday!  Bad Boy Naples engaged in daily erratic and unexplainable traffic maneuvers that would make the most celebrated Indy 500 race car driver flinch.  Naples is unapologetically loud and demanding of attention. True to its nature, Bad Boy Naples has swagger. Can a city have swagger? Yes, I think so! Naples parties on Friday and Saturday night into the wee hours of the morning and sleeps late on Sunday.  As I have gleaned from five years of observing Monday morning traffic patterns, after a long weekend of partying, it appears that work on Monday is an option for Neopolitans. Naples was home to me for five lovely years. I miss it but I know leaving was the right thing to do. But I have a feeling I will return.