The world is a big place. Sometimes I think it is easy to forget the fact that not everyone lives a life like we do. Not everyone eats like we do, or dresses like we do, or talks like we do, or communicates like we do. I believe that the only way to truly understand this is to travel.
Picking the place to travel can be challenging and intimidating, so let me tell you 21 reasons why Italy is the best choice as possibly your first adventure outside of the United States.
1. The food is amazing. It will make you never want to return to the states.
2. Wine. Wine. Wine. Need I say more? Oh, and the drinking age is 16.
3. The people are beautiful. People in Italy, for the most part, are stylish, in shape and tanned to perfection!
4. The majority of people are happy! I was surprised by how many people were smiling and in a happy mood.
5. The architecture is breathtaking! Living in Seattle and comparing that to European cities, I felt as though I was walking into another world. There is so much detail on many of the buildings. I could have easily spent hours just standing and looking.
6. The cities are breathtaking, and they are relatively close! When I was there I bused, and sometimes took a ferry when necessary, to places like Rome, Venice, Pisa, Florence, Pompeii, the Amalfi coast and the island of Capri, all within a couple of weeks.
7. People dance, and most everyone is good at it.
8. The villages and cities are basically works of art.
9. Driving there will make you appreciate the drivers in the U.S. There are basically no rules concerning driving in Italy. There are rarely lines in the roads, and cars basically just go wherever they want whenever they want. Biking on the road there is like a death wish.
10. Venice, the place where fairytales happen. It is a sinking city that is well-known for the glass they make, the cobblestone walkways that twist on forever, and it is known for the men wearing stripped shirts and straw hats, who sing to you while taking you on boat rides throughout the city.
11. There are Roman ruins. You can actually walk through something that has been standing for hundreds of years.
12. The Amalfi coast. When I was traveling along the Amalfi coast, it was amazing to see how many houses were nestled along the cliffs with flowers and green vines growing in-between. Many of the houses seemed to be stacked on top of each other, and some were constructed in such a way that they appeared to be a part of the rocks. It is often considered one of the most beautiful coasts in the entire world, and for good reason. I felt as though I had died and went to heaven as I was walking through the streets.
13. So much pasta! And it’s not like the kind that’s sold at Safeway; it’s fresh and often made from scratch.
14. The churches are breathtaking. I saw more churches than I thought possible within a three week period. Each and every one was different, but the detail and artistry was equally stunning.
15. You get a sense of what “la dolce vita” means. It means “the sweet life.” Italians claim to have mastered the mixture of food, family and humor. I found this to be very true and perhaps why everyone seemed happy and less stressed than they do in the U.S.
16. Coffee! Italians have truly mastered the art of making coffee and most of it is served in small shot glasses without cream or sugar, and the beans are roasted to perfection.
17. Shopping! I don’t think people have truly experienced leather boots until they have owned a pair that was made in Italy. The leather is like velvet.
18. Music. There are many street musicians who are actually very talented, and it’s a perfect way to get a free concert!
19. The Spanish Steps. You have a chance to actually sit where Audrey Hepburn sat in Roman Holiday.
20. Gelato. Gelato stands in Italy are as frequent as Starbucks stands in Seattle.
21. You lose weight. Italian cities are designed more for walking than driving, and because of that, I lost 5 pounds while I was there!
I was fortunate enough to experience all of these things when I was 17. Traveling is more than just a good-time, it is also an eye-opening experience that teaches people that there is a lot more to life than what is right in front of us.
