Postcard from Italy

This was one of the first sights I had after getting off the bus in Rome. Immediately in love.

Ciao, Italia!

In the summer of 2023, I took a bold leap of faith and signed up on an international group trip to Italy and Greece. Honestly, it may be a bit of an understatement to say that this trip was the most wonderful, life-changing experience I have ever done.

I knew I loved to travel since I was young, but this was my first time going anywhere without my parents. The flights were long and I was going to another continent, and I was nervous. However, needless to say, as soon as I stepped foot off that airplane in the airport of Rome, the nerves quickly gave way to straight giddiness. I absolutely fell head over heels for Italy, the culture, the food and art.

Let's recap what I did in Italy, between the stunning cities Rome and Florence, to the small, secluded country town of Assisi.

XOXO,

Mary Grace

Rosé and fresh pasta in Florence.

Wine and Dine:

There's always that one insufferable person who comes back from a trip to Italy and refuses to ever go back to Olive Garden because they've, "tasted the real flavors of Italy". Yeah... guilty as charged. (Just kidding, I will always love you OG). But seriously, the food in Italy was phenomenal, from the pesto pasta to the stone oven baked pizzas. Every ingredient and food item I ate in Italy was fresh and flavorful, my tastebuds doing constant cartwheels of happiness. The most shocking thing to me, however, was being able to have a bowl of pasta, glass of wine and a scoop of gelato and never feel gross or bloated (whereas one bite of Alfredo at Olive Garden in America will send you into a food coma). I got to try so many different restaurants and dishes between the Italian cities, and the service was always wonderful and food always delectable. And, luckily for me, the drinking age in Europe was 18, so I was able to try the different types of wine from city to city. Florence boasted delicious sparkling rosé, and Rome had me gagging slightly over bitter red wine (sorry to my red wine lovers, it's not for me!)

Painted dome in the Vatican, Rome.

Art History Buff (Nerd):

One of my favorite classes I've ever taken was Art History, and getting to see the pieces that I learned about in a classroom in real life was amazing. I visited the Vatican, which contains the breathtaking Sistine Chapel, with floor to ceiling paintings that literally left me weak in my knees (Michelangelo will do that you, I swear). Even if you know nothing about art, it does not take much to appreciate the beauty and wonders of the Vatican, and mostly everyone has heard of Michelangelo's "The Last Judgement". Seeing this in person after only seeing it through photographs was life-changing, and gave me a newfound appreciation and love for art.

"Are you not entertained?"

Yep, cue the Gladiator theme song immediately.

Other sights: the Trevi fountain (beautiful, but infamous for pick-pocketers), the statue of David and a cafe in Assisi.