Senior Miller tells of Italy vacation

With the season of warmth and bountiful procrastination drawing to a close, now is the time to reminisce about summer fun and look forward to the next summer with happy anticipation. If you’re stuck on figuring out a place to visit next year, you might want to consider the opinion of AHS Senior Morgan Miller.

Many people dream about visiting exotic or interesting destinations on their summer vacations. They dream of visiting foreign countries and encountering new cultures, languages, and experiences. They imagine the joy and novelty of speaking a new language and interacting with people from lands far away from home. For Miller, these things went from dreams to realities.

She and her family took a trip to Italy to help celebrate her grandparents’ 70th birthdays. She stayed near the Vatican in Rome, Italy for twelve days and visited a myriad of interesting destinations.

The grueling flight from Ohio to Italy lasted upwards of eight hours but it was definitely worth it. Besides, it wasn’t that bad, she said; she “mostly watched movies” during her time in the air, and the flight was a nice opportunity to catch up on some sleep.

Once she got there, any boredom that may have come during the flight surely disappeared. “There’s so much to see and so much to do,” in Italy, said Miller. The environment itself makes sure that there is hardly a dull moment.

Miller had the opportunity to go to the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, and several other historic points within Italy. “Staying right next to the Vatican was really awesome,” she explained, and she said that she definitely would recommend Rome to anyone considering a visit.

For food connoisseurs, Miller reported that there is indeed a lot of stereotypical Italian food within Italy. “Actually, I was sick of pasta and pizza by the end of the trip,” she noted. However, since Italy is known for its sauces, noodles, and boundless spices, there was no shortage of new (and familiar) foods to enjoy.

And don’t worry, you don’t have to be an expert on the Italian language to take a visit. “Most of the people we talked to… had a sense for how to speak English,” she recalled. The only Italian words she knew before going to Italy were hello (chao), and thank you (grazie). She said that people in Italy were very understanding about any mistakes and that she and her family were able to communicate with the locals pretty well.

Speaking of which, even the people alone are worth visiting according to Miller. “We had a driver [in Sicily] who we became very close with,” she recalled. “He told us a lot about the city and what to do there.”

Miller’s trip was one that might be too expensive or too far-reaching for some students, but she concluded that the experience of her visit to Italy was definitely worth the while (and the bill!). She would certainly recommend this destination for anyone willing to visit; she even hopes she can go back someday.

“I would love to go again,” she explained when asked about her willingness to return. ”I think about it every day. I want to go back so badly.”