I hear that a lot...

So one of the fun advantages of wreaking total havoc on your life is that you always have something to talk about. Meeting somebody for the first time? No problem. Talking to a stranger at the store? Easy-peasy. Chatting it up with awkward/lingering co-workers? Piece of cake. Your life is suddenly ripe with topics of conversation with seemingly endless segues into useful tid-bits of travel recomendations (or warnings) as well as fodder for stories (upon stories) of travel nightmares.

But surprisingly, the piece of information I hear the most (and that I know the least what to do with) is this: Italian men are really aggressive.

So, does this mean I should avoid prolonged eye-contact with all men while I'm in Italy? Should I take an Italian focused self-defense class? Should I feign a language barrier difficulty if one should (God forbid) ask me to hang out? I realize this is silly, but at the heart of it is an honest question: What is the "making friends" protocol for a young woman while traveling in a foreign country? Because, let's be honest - I'm not going eight weeks without making new friends*. I'm too darn social; I'd probably go insane. So how much caution is truly necessary? What are realistic boundaries for a single travler looking to both meet people and stay safe?

I welcome your thoughts, dear travelers.

*I don't mean to imply that all "new friends" will be men per se, but it's a 50/50 chance, so you know what I mean.