After seeing the beautiful sights of Florence and eating delicious Mexican food on the Fourth of July, we made our way to Venice. Venice is one of the cities that all of us were dying to see. Throughout the previous week we learned about the history of the city and it made us even more excited about what was to come. It is safe to say that none of us were disappointed, even in the torrential downpour of rain, because Venice was nothing short of amazing.

What made Venice so great was not just the beautiful canals, the gondolas, the bridges and the sea, but it was who we were with that made all of the difference. We explored, got caught in the rain, got lost in the winding back alleys, found a to-go pasta place (that we went back to several times) and ate delicious gelato. We even walked barefoot through a completely flooded St. Mark’s square. Although it rained a lot, it almost made it better. It forced us to act like little kids again and get creative with our limited number of umbrellas and rain jackets. Exploring a place so wonderful with friends that have become family can only end in a great experience, and that is what we had.

On our train ride back from a fun-filled journey to Florence, Siena and Venice, I couldn’t help but get a bit sentimental knowing that we only have two more weeks living in Italy with our new best friends. I am so thankful for the knowledge I have gained, being able to explore such beautiful places, and most importantly, I am thankful for the friendships I have made.

Watching the gondolas dance

Ciao,
Morgan Gamble