COVID-19 lockdown for those of us in the United States meant that pre-planned trips to Italy had to be postponed, collectively breaking the hearts of many Italian Americans who live for their summer trips back to their ancestral lands. While the lockdown, now slowly lifting, was difficult for many, for others it provided a time to make discoveries that they never would have otherwise. For me, that discovery was Neapolitan.

As an American of Campanian origin, I had always wanted to learn Neapolitan but never had the time for a wide variety of reasons. Thanks to my day job at the Italian American Podcast, I discovered Italki, an amazing web-based platform where students are connected with language teachers from all over the world. Before we even finished recording Episode 144: 10 Easy Steps to Becoming an Even Better Italian American While You’re Stuck at Home, I had signed up for my first Neapolitan lesson and haven’t looked back.