Hey, remember that time I stocked my camera too full of Capri photos? Sometimes being in a gorgeous place like Capri gives me what I call “Tourist Syndrome.” Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. The dorky looking American with their cameras glued to the apples of their cheeks. Yep, those! Tourists are a real thing in Italy. Even though I do my best to dress like a European, eat like a European and act like a European, it’s undeniable… Yep, I’m a tourist. I will never not be a tourist to Romans. And you know what? Being a tourist isn’t always a bad thing. A tourist appreciates the minute idiosyncrasies of an unfamiliar place more so than an inhabitant does. Tourists, at their core, are simply overzealous appreciators. And I kind of love that. However… having your camera become an appendage of your face? Not so much of a good thing.

About halfway through our boat tour of Capri, I found myself stressed to take more and more high quality pictures of this gorgeous island. I mean, I wanted to be able to flip through photo albums and remember this place years from now! BUT. Midway through rubbing my strained neck I had to ask myself, are a thousand pictures worth missing out on enjoying Capri? No. They’re not! It’s easy to lose yourself behind the lens of the camera. But it’s a more meaningful experience to see the beauty through your own eyes. I put the camera down. And guess what? I still had an overabundance of pictures to post!

One reoccurring thought I’ve had while living abroad is that a good life is really about balance. My biggest recommendation to travelers out there is to practice the art of balance in your travel itineraries. For the love of god… don’t do everything at once! Balancing our schedule has brought out the great aspects of travel for Luke and I. Taking on one daily adventure as well as quiet, individual time makes our days here feel productive and stress free. We push ourselves to get out everyday and see new and amazing things, but we also find enjoyment in just walking around our neighborhood. Everyday, we cook one meal ourselves and go out for another. Sure, we gorge ourselves… but not on every meal. It makes us grateful for the ridiculously delicious restaurants here in Italy and it makes our waistlines stay somewhat thinner. If we packed our days with two or more mind blowing sights as well as a thousand bites of mouthwatering Italian meals, there would be no way that we could really appreciate it all.

To my fellow (or future) travelers, I want to remind you that you are not superhuman and that is okay. Live a balanced life while abroad. Fill your days with beautiful things as well as time for repose. It’s okay if you don’t see every single sight if it means you are relaxed and enjoying yourself. I promise. And be aware when to put your camera down. It’s okay to miss a few shots if you can have the moment cemented in your mind’s eye.

Anyway, back to Capri! Isn’t this place out of this world?

The restaurant above was one of our greatest finds. Right outside of the city center, this scenic spot was empty and begging for us to grab a drink. And we did! After sweating up and down the steep alleyways of Capri, Luke jumped into the ocean and did a lap. I snapped some more pictures and drank a granita (it seemed fitting). Afterwards, we waited on the docks to go back to Naples. Embarrassing story alert! This girl got seasick. Like, realllllly seasick. The windy conditions and choppy waves shook our little ferry pretty roughly. Almost everyone in the front half of the ship was begging for trash bags. Anyone have any tips on seasickness? I ended up with my eyes glued to the horizon (which was bobbing up and down with the ship) to ease my equilibrium. It didn’t work too well!

All in all, the experience wasn’t diminished by my weak stomach. I’d go back to Capri in a heartbeat! The island’s lemon trees, white, rocky cliffs and the varied shades of ocean blue stole my heart.

To my lovely readers, thank you for a great first month of blogging! I can’t wait for what the next month has in store. What would you guys like to see more of? City guides? Selfies? Mixtapes? Recipes? Pictures? Giveaways? Seriously… shoot me your thoughts and comments below. I want to know

Capri: Part II