I've been thinking a lot lately about family vacations I've taken with my family. We've been very blessed with the opportunity to travel throughout the years. Over the next few weeks, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite things about each of the places we've visited.

Two years ago, during my senior year of high school, my family took a vacation to Italy during Christmas break. We flew in to Rome a couple days after Christmas, spent a few days there before taking the train to Florence for five days, then finished with a couple days in Venice before flying home. I fell in love with Italy while we were there. The culture, the food, the people and the land were absolutely amazing. Here are some of my favorite things about Italy!

1. The architecture

The buildings in Italy are beautiful. Many buildings in the cities were built during the Renaissance time, which combined the best of the Greek and Roman architecture, characterized by columns, large domes and beautiful carvings and decorations.

2. The art

The Renaissance led to a rebirth of art, during which some of the best known works of art were created. I had the opportunity to see the original pieces of some of the most famous artwork in the world, such as the sculpture David, "The Birth of Venus" by Botticelli, and many other works by Michelangelo, Botticelli, and da Vinci.

3. The Colosseum

What a beautiful, beautiful piece of history that has been preserved so well. It's actually humorous; the city of Rome was built around the Colosseum, so this ancient structure is surrounded by modern downtown Rome.

4. The food

Best. Food. Ever. Dining in Italy is amazing. We always asked the concierge at the hotel for recommendations of great restaurants in the city. We spent hours at meals, just eating slowly and socializing, enjoying quality time together. Our favorite dish was one my dad ordered, which was a ravioli-like pasta with pear on the inside to create an "explosion of sweetness" in your mouth.

5. St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican

We spent a day touring the Vatican and St. Peter's. Vatican City is the world's smallest country, only .2 square miles. We also had the opportunity to hear the pope speak, a once in a lifetime opportunity. One of my favorite parts of Rome was climbing up to the top of the Basilica.

6. Florence

I absolutely loved Florence, everything about it. We experienced so much in Florence: art, beautiful churches, the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, Il Duomo, shopping, amazing food and ringing in the New Year.

7. The wine

Wine in Italy is amazing. The Tuscan countryside is full of vineyards that make wines; therefore, a lot of the wines we drank were local. Europe is known for celebrating a culture of social drinking, where everyone in the family has a glass of wine for dinner.

8. Tuscan Countryside

We went on a beautiful tour of the Tuscan countryside. We visited the small city of Sienna, a local winery, San Gimignano (which my mom still can't say correctly), and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The countryside is beautiful, with wineries, rolling hillsides and little towns throughout.

9. Gondola ride in Venice

Slowly riding through the waters of Venice, hearing a single voice singing classic Italian tunes. It was everything I've ever imagined.

I'll always love Italy. Grazie, arrivederci!