I went to Rome in August 2024 for a nine-day trip right before school started, and it was basically my dream vacation because I love ancient history. Everywhere you look, there’s something old and amazing just sitting next to regular life—ruins by bus stops, columns near coffee shops. I was so excited to finally see the places I’d read about in books.
The Vatican was incredible. Standing in St. Peter’s Square and then walking into the basilica felt huge, like stepping into a movie set but real. The Vatican Museums went on forever—in a good way—and I even saw my first Dalí. The Sistine Chapel was mesmerizing; I kept craning my neck and trying to spot tiny details Michelangelo hid in the paintings.
The Colosseum and the Roman Forum were my “whoa, history” moments. It’s wild to look across the arena and imagine crowds cheering two thousand years ago. Wandering the Forum felt like walking through a broken time machine—pieces of temples, arches, and streets that once ran the whole empire. I also loved a museum about the Etruscans; their art and tombs were beautiful, and learning how they competed with Rome (but couldn’t unite against it) made the rise of Rome make more sense.
We took a day trip to Pompeii and climbed Vesuvius. Pompeii was chilling—whole streets and houses frozen in time because of one terrible day. Later, hiking up the volcano that caused it all was both awesome and a little scary. Standing on the rim and looking into the crater, I kept thinking about how nature can change everything in just a few hours.
And the food—wow. I learned how simple pasta sauces can be perfect when they’re done exactly right. My dad also taught me how to spot a great gelateria: check the banana (it should be grayish, not bright yellow) and the pistachio (a pale beige-green, not neon); look for metal tubs instead of plastic; and avoid places where the gelato is piled up super high—too much air. We’d do quick “gelato inspections,” make a mental note, and circle back later. Rome tasted just as good as it looked.