Check out what program Graduates have to say about the best things in Italy! Get inspired with these ideas to go see ‘the Beautiful Place.’ Trust us, Italia is simply amazing!

Have you ever traveled somewhere that just changes your life completely? That was Italy for me. Everything about living with a host family in Italy awed me. The incredible buildings, the amazing food, and most of all — the people. I learned so much in such a short amount of time. I loved the way Italians talk, the way they can spend hours during a meal with friends, and their passion for life.

Read on to see what graduates of the Italy program said were their favorite parts of Italy.

1. The people.
Over and over again, our graduates rave about the people in Italy! Where can you find a people as fun-loving, and passionate about life? I’d say nowhere.

2. The culture.
Late nights, great food, and daily siestas? Count me in!

3. The food.
Pizza, lasagna, pasta, pesto, gelato, pastries, spaghetti, deli meat, and fresh basil and produce? What more could you want?? All the best foods are Italian. Change my mind, I dare you.

4. The language.
Italian is a romance language for a reason. It’s easy on the ears and so fun to listen to! We’ve even dedicated a whole blog post to some of our favorite Italian words.

5. The proximity of the sea no matter your location.
There’s a reason why people are drawn to coasts and water. Beautiful beaches being a huge plus.

6. Everything! Really though.
Literally more than one person said this. Actually most people say this.

7. The atmosphere.
There’s a really cool balance in Italy that’s hard to describe. The mix of old and new, being rushed and slowing down, and the natural world with human design just to name a few.

8. The landscape.
Beautiful beaches? Check. Dense forests? Check. Incredible mountains? Check. Rolling hills? Check.

9. The history.
Headquarters for the Roman Empire. Birthplace of the Renaissance. Home to Galileo, Da Vinci, Machiavelli, Vespucci, and tons of other philosophical leaders.

10. The buildings.
From a graduate: “Everywhere you look the shapes, sizes, colors, and architecture of every building is different. I love seeing how they squeeze in as much as they possibly can into one small space! From city to city and town to town I don’t think I ever get bored of admiring the buildings they have built onto cliffs and mountain sides.”

11. The ‘I’ve got all the time in the world for you even though I’m running late’ feeling.
She actually summed up Italian culture in one sentence ^

12. Literally everything.
Told ya!

13. The organized chaos that is Italy’s streets.
Note to self: Walk, don’t drive in Italy’s cities.

14. GELATO.
Ice cream is in my top 10 reasons for living. (Here are our top secrets to finding the best gelato…shhh!)

15. Cobblestone streets.
They’re just picturesque and so quaint and cute! Not great for heels but we can live without those.

16. Pesto pasta.
Your taste buds will thank you enormously.

17. Nutella pastries.
Whoever the genius is that thought of putting Nutella into an already-delicious-baked-good is worthy of high praise.

18. It’s so completely different than what it’s like living at home.
So much is similar yet so much is totally different.

19. Everywhere you look, you can see something new and awe-inspiring.

20. How it rounded my world view.
It’s true that experiencing a different culture helps you see the water you’re swimming in. I never realized it was unusual for Europeans to have ice in their drinks until my Italian grandma freaked out that I wanted icy water!

21. Italy fills the gaps you didn’t know you had.
The way Italy creates a sense of culture that includes art, language, and socialization that I didn’t realize I lacked until I came home. The people there want to share those aspects of their lifestyle with you and they’re beyond happy to do it.

Have you been to Italy before? What was your favorite part? If you haven’t been yet, what are you most excited to see?