I just spent the last ten days of my life traveling across Italy. To the girl who had never really been out of the south to the girl who has been half way across the world. Every one knows how scary the world can be right now. People are constantly on edge and nervous about attacks. You could imagine how nervous I really was to leave my home. Leaving my dad, who is the source of all safety, was probably the hardest part. If you know me, you know I run to him even if it's just a bad thunderstorm. Leaving my brother to fend for himself was another obstacle I had to jump. With one small carry-on suitcase and a backpack, I started my journey.
When we landed in Rome, I realized Italy would be just as hot and muggy as my sweet home Alabama. Speaking little Italian and only having a ticket for a train that had left hours ago, we were forced to figure transportation out and find food before we all fell out right there in the train station. Eventually, we found our way into Venice. Butterflies filled my stomach as I looked out into the main canal.
Venice really is everything people say it is. The buildings are all different colors, people sing as they travel through the winding canals, and the food is absolutely terrific. Every bite that you put in your mouth is fresh and made with care. Venice was my favorite city I visited while being in Italy. That city was made for someone who loves the ocean. You see, smell, and hear the ocean every where in the city.
We visited Florence next. My first impression of Florence was the gorgeous statues that were placed everywhere around the city. These statues were made centuries ago. But they still stand tall. The art in Florence blew me away. We talked about how the art today was so different than the art back then. Florence is a great way to see art grow. Along the streets, you can find breathtaking street art that cover the walls and then as you walk into the buildings, a piece by Michelangelo could be hanging up. Pictures and videos will never do justice to these works of art.
The last city we visited was Rome. Rome makes you feel like you are in a big city back in the United States. Little do you know, your feet are walking on the ancient city of Rome. The reason this city only has two subway lines is because every time they startdigging, they find thousands of year old artifacts. My favorite part was easily seeing the ruins of Ancient Rome. Our tour guide told us to close our eyes and imagine ourselves hundreds of years ago in the small house we were standing in. The house was thirty feet under ground due to destruction of the city. It was the most moving thing to imagine actually living in that house. I also understood on a new level of why the colosseum existed. When people think of the colosseum, they think about the blood shed and millions of animals that were killed. Yes, all of that happened, and it was absolutely horrible. But, people back in that time, who didn't have books or the internet to see new things, came to the colosseum. Our guide told us to pretend you had no idea what a tiger was, so you traveled, on foot for months to see the magic in the colosseum. To them, it must really have been like magic.
My trip taught me many lessons, but most of all, I am so blessed to have my aunt Shawn and Debbie. Shawn gave me the trip of a life time. No matter what, I will never forget that laughs the three of us had on this trip.
