Luxuries of Life

When I think of my time in Italy, I can sum it best with this phrase: the luxuries of life. I don’t mean luxury in the sense of Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton — although you can find plenty of that in the country’s fashion capital Milan, along with delicious food like Milanese risotto at affordable Michelin star restaurants.

Italians are all about enjoying life, and that’s an attitude I definitely wanted to bring back to my own life in the US. Whether it’s taking a little afternoon nap or basking in the sun with a cool drink, painting by the river, cooking up an amazing homemade meal and indulging on that carbonara pasta or cheesy pizza, Italians are sure to make life fun. Love what you do, and do what you love, right? We are often so busy today that we forget the things that make us happy. Life shouldn’t just be about the rise and grind. It’s should be enjoyable, too, about focusing on the big and the small moments. My time in Italy taught me one of the bravest, most courageous things we can ever do is to pursue happiness. They also taught me it’s important to nurture our minds and hearts with arts, intellectual explorations, family (and sleep!) and to always live with intention.

The Spanish Steps

I had been to Rome a few years back and felt at home the second time I visited. Seeing the Colosseum and the ruins at night instead of during the day provided a whole new perspective to the city. I got to meet up with my friend Nate, who I had met on my trip to Croatia, in the neighborhood of Trastevere. He had been studying abroad in Rome and I had no idea he was staying in Trastevere, which happened to be the neighborhood I had stayed in for two weeks on my first trip to Rome! Walking through the town for some pizza and gelato and sitting on the steps of a square listening to street musicians perform didn’t get old the second time around. The Spanish Steps are another favorite stop of mine - you may recognize it from the Lizzie McGuire movie. Flowers are blooming in the springtime and people are gathered all over to sit and enjoy a sunny afternoon. At the bottom of the Spanish Steps is a famous shopping district of Rome.

Another classic stop is the Trevi Fountain, of course, although that is even more crowded than the Spanish Steps. Don’t expect to spend more than one minute getting your coin toss picture! But also don’t forget to step back and take a look at the intricate carvings of the fountain, because it is one beautiful piece of work! Rome has so much rich history and architecture on top of the amazing food they’re known for. I highly recommend taking a day trip to the Vatican, but even if you don’t, make sure to walk through the square and at least admire it from the outside! If you go on a Sunday, you might get to see the Pope (I did my first trip to Rome!). And the Sistine Chapel is truly, truly breathtaking. Another thing to check out is the Roman Colosseum and ruins. Since I had already been to the Colosseum, I decided to walk around the outside of the Colosseum at night, as well as some of the squares like Piazza Navona that I had already seen. Visiting at night gave a completely different perspective than during the day!

Florence was absolutely stunning and one of my favorite parts of Italy. The art culture there is still thriving, and there are tons of museums to check out while visiting like the Uffizi Gallery or Academic Gallery (home to Michelangelo’s original sculpture of David is). I made sure to pick up some watercolor paintings by local artists as a reminder of my time in this artistic hub of the Renaissance. Seeing the architecture of the Duomo and the Baptistery of St. John, climbing up the clocktower next to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore for amazing views of the city, I really felt transported back in time. There are beautiful medieval stone bridges like Ponte Vecchio, an iconic spot lined with small shops, and St. Trinity Bridge. Florence has no shortage of Renaissance palaces, piazzas, and basilicas to explore. Make sure to check out the Boboli Gardens or Giardino Bardini to experience some lavish gardens.

I was surprised at how touristy Venice was, but it was still amazing to visit. While I wished I was there for longer so as to make the day trip out to Burano Island instead of just spending a day on Venice Island, my two days in Venice were so enjoyable. I, of course, took a gondola ride through the canals and that was an absolute blast. It not only provides a different perspective of the island than walking around, but it’s a living preservation of history. It really is something when you get to experience something people way back in the day did, to immerse yourself in their way of living and get a sense of what life was like then.

Another unique preservation of history I experienced was the Venetian lace school. I got to visit one of the only remaining schools of the trade and see how the lace was made. The artists are painstakingly thorough and a little piece of lace can take up to 9 months to be made! I picked up a new pin cushion for my mom and a bookmark for myself.

Walking around St. Mark’s square was another favorite experience of mine. We sat on a bench eating gelato, watching the vendors at their tables and so, so many birds fly around. The clock tower would chime and all the buildings in the square stood there in their full glory as the sun began to set. The square is right by the water, so you can also watch gondolas leave and dock.

I also got the chance to make some stops at smaller cities in Italy, of which Orvieto was probably my favorite. The cathedral there is almost as stunning as the Duomo in Florence with its similar design. It’s a small town with little alleyway boutiques, shops selling wild boar (Tuscany’s national food!), and an old medieval castle with an amazing view overlooking the valley. I hit Verona and Pisa the same day and was glad they were only stops on the way because they are cute to walk through but very small, touristy towns. We even stopped in the Tuscan countryside for a home-made dinner and wine tasting class.

Italy is an amazingly rich country with such a variety of things to explore. Read here about my time visiting the Amalfi Coast and check out more of my Italy photos - this was definitely one of my most photographed countries!