calabria sits in the toe of the boot of italy, connected to basilicata in the north and separated from sicily in the south only by the narrow strait of messina. it s a region of rugged landscapes, dramatic mountain ranges, and some 500 miles of incredible coastline. it doesn t have that infrastructure. it s still a lot of abandoned buildings, a lot of poverty, a lot of corruption. it s really unfortunate because it is magnificent. like millions of calabrians, all four of my grandparents emigrated from this region with nothing but the clothes on their backs. so i m headed first to see the