When I found out that for Christmas we would be going to Italy last year, the first thing that came to my mind was- food. I thought about pasta, pizza, and gelato. My whole life I have heard of all the delicious food in Tuscany. Nothing was more exciting that getting to know I would be there to experience all this amazing food, but nothing could prepare me for what else was in store.

After what seemed a never-ending trip on plane and then train, my family and I arrived to Venice, Italy. The first thing I noticed was the beautiful people prepared to help with any questions about how to get places. Walking around the city could not be more incredible. The amazing architecture and history in Italy completely impressed me. Every place, church or restaurant, had a story behind. Floating through the beautiful city of Venice on a gondola could not have been more thrilling! The whole experience was like a dream with the gondolier singing and the people loving each other around us. After that adventure, we got to see the glorious cathedrals that Italy had in store. It was amazing to sit in the cathedrals and take it all in. Looking at all the intricate details made me wonder about how long ago and how long it had taken to build such an amazing building. On the tours around I learned about all the famous people that had been there and some even buried in the very church.

As a girl, of course, I was drawn to the exceptional Italian clothes and shoes. Everything is made by hand by people that have been doing this in their families for years. There is so much tradition in what the people do. People have mastered the craft over so many years. Whether it is glassblowing, sewing, or cooking, they make sure they are the best.

After Venice, my family and I went to Florence. There we went to a museum to see the famous statue of David. Although it was wonderful to actually see and say I saw it, when I actually encountered it, the flaws on David surprised me. Yes, some flaws were easily seen but then I thought about the extraordinary talent it must have taken Michelangelo to carve a man out of one big piece of stone. It is so hard to believe that so much time and energy was taken to make an amazing piece of art. So many things in Italy were made with such effort and love.

I went to Italy with all these expectations of eating delicious food, and do not get me wrong every single thing I ate was mouthwatering, but learned so much more. Italy is so much more than food. It is a culture. In Italy, everything is made with so much passion. Nothing is done half way; whatever is done is done with perfection. Things are made to last and that is what I learned while visiting the beautiful country of Italy.