Many New Jerseyans missing their annual trips to Italy

With nearly a million and a half residents of New Jersey of Italian ancestry, it's no wonder why so many of us travel to Italy on a fairly regular basis. For many, summer is the time to spend with cousins, aunts, uncles and even parents in "the old country."

And for so many others, it's just a chance to check out one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the world.

Dennis Malloy photo

The food, the culture, the beautiful countryside and intoxicating shoreline up and down both sides of the peninsula. It's been a few years, so my daughter and I planned a trip for this summer, which kept getting moved back and finally postponed until next year, God willing. U.S. residents cannot travel there unless it is of an essential nature. Wanting to enjoy my cousin Lilliana's eggplant parmesan and their homemade grappa doesn't qualify.

We have family there and we kept in close contact during the serious lockdown there during March, April and May. That's when I started looking for anything on video that showed what life was like in real time near where my cousins live in Salerno. I stumbled across something called The Positano Diaries, just up the road from where the family lives. It's a bi-weekly vlog on YouTube hosted by Nicole Storey, who goes by the handle Nicky Positano. The vlog chronicles Nicky's life in this unbelievably beautiful part of the world. She is not a professional filmmaker or presenter, but does an amazing job of letting you into her world and the beauty of the Amalfi Coast.

She is a professional make-up artist who lives with her partner, Carlo, and their daughter Skye in what I would consider heaven. Most of her work has dried up due to the pandemic as many of the weddings in the area being canceled this year, so she's got more time to make videos, thank God. Here's more about her and how this Brit came to live in Positano, Italy. If you're missing Italy or just always wanted a ground level view of what life is life there, check out these videos. I'm hooked and can't wait til every Thursday and Sunday when she posts new ones.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis' own.