Hopes of Italy

a keepsake box i love, available on etsy.com

I got an exciting email the other day. It was from my dad, who had been stationed in Korea with the military. He had gotten orders to go to Naples, Italy for a month, four days after returning from Korea. He will be there during my April vacation, so my sister and I will hopefully fly out to meet him. I originally had plans to make formal college visits during break, but going to Italy definitely takes precedence.

I have been once before, when I was 11, and have always regretted that my parents chose to take us there when Diana and I were so little. We spent the bulk of that vacation crowded into a car that was several sizes too small, trying to drive across the entire country. This time, I want to go to Italy not as a tourist; I don’t want to worry about seeing every tourist attraction, about getting in line early to see Michelangelo’s David.

a photo of my grandfather at the trevi fountain in rome,
in the 1980s. this picture has become loved by my family,
and has been replicated by my dad and my sister.

One of the things I’m the most excited about is the food. You have to try really hard to find a bad meal in Italy—hands down, the best food I have ever had while traveling was in Italy. I have also been promised a day trip to Capri, and a few days in Milan, both places we didn’t get to the last time.

Diana and I usually stick together on family vacations, and it’s actually really nice having someone so close in age to travel with. We are pros at manipulating my parents to drive us to obscure, remote outlets/shopping centers instead of visiting historic sites and sketchy tourist spots (i.e. “South of the Border,” “Wall Drug”), and together we speed ahead of the parents on hikes, through museums, and when I’m allowed to drive. (Something I will definitely not be permitted to do if we rent a car in Italy, although I am determined to ride a Vespa).

view from the duomo in florence, taken by me at age 11.

I am looking forward to exploring Italy with my little sister. We are both so much more grown up now than we were six years ago. We have way better attitudes, personalities, and clothes. (Sorry, Dad, no more Teva sandals for us). Diana and I have definitely bonded in the backseats of strange-smelling rental cars and in hotel rooms with questionable stains on the walls. As soon as she turns 21, we’re going on the Amazing Race—neon clothing and fanny packs included. And we will definitely be adding plenty of drama to get lots of camera time.