Traveling is one thing that absolutely has my heart. When I was younger, I lived in Naples, Italy for four years since my dad was a commander in the military. I never realized how privileged I was to experience so many beautiful places at such a young age, but I now appreciate everything I’ve been able to see during my 19 years of life. I firmly believe that if you’re able to travel, financially, physically, and mentally, you should! Who knows how long we have left on this earth, and there is so much more outside of the U.S. that we should see in our lifetime. Here’s a list of some of my favorite places that I’ve been to and why:
-
Paris, France
I went to Paris on a family trip while I lived overseas. I ate dinner in the Eiffel Tower which included trying duck for the first time (my mom told me it was chicken though), and it was surprisingly really good. My favorite food is bread and France really does have the best bread in the world, their baguettes are unmatched. 10/10, would definitely recommend it.
2. The Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast is truly one of the most gorgeous places on earth. I actually have a funny story from being there, which includes my family in a car, a cliffside road, and blinding fog. We had to navigate our way back to our hotel on a road with no railing and the open ocean directly to our right, which wouldn’t have been so terrifying if there wasn’t cloudy fog blinding my parents’ vision. So we drove very slowly on this winding cliffside road in order to get back down to ground level. It honestly was a miracle we made it out alive, but experience such as those is what makes traveling so much fun, expect the unexpected to be honest.
3. Cancún, Mexico
I love love, loveeeed Mexico. I stayed in an all-inclusive resort called Moon Palace. I’ve made some of my best memories there, including swimming with giant sea turtles, cave diving, eating authentic Mexican food, and having a week-long summer fling with some who I’d never had to see again. What happens in Cancún stays in Cancún.
4. Rome, Italy
Rome is a must-see simply because of all the history in that one city. From the Colosseum to the ruins of Pompeii, there’s so much to see that we’ve only learned about in our history books. It is a very busy city, kind of like the Italian version of New York. The food, however, is amazing. I love getting authentic margarita pizzas and gelato.
5. Venice, Italy
Last, but definitely not least, my favorite place in the world is Venice. Something about the fact that there are no cars or roads, only water transportation systems is calming and enjoyable to be around. The architecture in Venice is also appealing because of its colorful and geometric structure. The city is fairly small and easy to navigate around, and I wouldn’t mind living there abroad for a year or two.