Venezia, Verona e Roma :)

Hey guys! I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Year's! Certainly, my holidays looked a little bit different this year, but I will always remember how special it was surrounded my family and friends from Italy and America. One of my favorite holiday traditions here is that on Christmas Eve, there is a big dinner with the whole family, that goes from 8:30 until midnight and at midnight, everyone stands up and kisses everyone's cheeks, wishing them a Merry Christmas, I just thought it showed the spirit of the Italians. On Christmas Day, my mom and sister flew into Rome and decided to spend a Christmas meal with my host family and I. Me, Giorgio and Aurelio drove to the bus station to pick them up and I can't describe how great it was to see my family for the first time in 3 months. Introductions were made and we all talked on the way home, getting to know each other. Once we got home, dinner was set for 17, everyone was celebrating together and my family blended right into the craziness. For dinner there was pasta and 3 types of meat and dessert and it truly was just  like those Italian family dinners we see in the movies. After dinner, there was singing, dancing and talking.
The holidays were especially fun for me this year because of all the traveling I got to do. With my mom and sister, I went to Venice and Verona. Venice is a city unlike any other. Beautiful buildings in all colors, no roads and only canals by which to travel by boat. Though Venice was beautiful, it was Verona that made an impression on my family and I. We saw Juliet's home and museum from Romeo and Juliet and it was gorgeous! The whole town had this welcoming feel with wide streets, open markets, food stands, and ancient ornate churches lining the streets. It was by far one of my favorite places I have seen ever. After my family headed home, there were a couple days of rest before I went to Rome with my host family. I have seen Rome before with the Latin club at my school, but was blown away by how many new things I learned this time around. I saw the village where Mussolini lived (now a park with running trails, with Mussolini's house and buildings still remaining as a museum), the Trevi Fountain, Saint Peter's Basilica, where the President and Prime Minister live, a planetarium, Piazza Navona (always my personal favorite) and Castel Sant'Angelo (where there's the path to the Vatican, the one in "Angels and Demons"). We walked a lot too and so many things I saw on foot that I'd missed before. Although all the sights were fantastic, it was the speaking in Italian and understanding the people that I enjoyed as well. A couple people asked me to take pictures of them and I was so excited that I understood when the asked without even thinking. All in all, a great break :) I hope everyone had a great holiday!!
-Kailey