LexTalk

What’s a country that’s at the top of your bucket list?

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  When today’s writing prompt asked, “What country is at the top of your bucket list?” I thought this would be an easy answer.
It wasn’t.
Immediately, my brain went to two completely different places: Italy and Egypt.
Egypt has pyramids, ancient mysteries, mummies, thousands of years of history and enough unanswered questions to keep me entertained for the rest of my life.
But then there’s Italy.
Italy has history too.
Except Italy also has pasta.
And wine.
And catacombs.
So…here we are.

Apparently My Dream Vacation Involves Wine, Carbs & Dead People

The more I think about Italy, the more I realize it combines an almost suspicious number of things I love.
I want to wander down old cobblestone streets without anywhere particular to be.
I want to sit outside at some tiny restaurant and eat a giant plate of pasta while drinking a glass of wine.
I want fresh bread.
I want salad covered in delicious Italian dressing—or whatever magical version of a salad Italy decides to give me.
I want another glass of wine.
And then, naturally, I would like to go underground and look at centuries-old burial sites.
You know.
Normal vacation activities.

Give Me the Creepy History

I’m fascinated by places that have stories attached to them—especially the stories that are a little darker.
Beautiful beaches are wonderful.
Fancy resorts are wonderful.
But tell me there’s a centuries-old underground tunnel filled with burial chambers?
Where do I buy my ticket?
Rome has ancient catacombs stretching beneath the city, where early Christians buried their dead and practiced their faith. There’s something fascinating about physically walking through a place that people were walking through nearly two thousand years ago.
But then there’s Sicily.
Specifically, Palermo.
The Capuchin Catacombs are home to thousands of preserved and mummified remains.
Yes.
Actual mummies.
Some are still wearing the clothing they were buried in.
Is that incredibly creepy?
Absolutely.
Do I desperately want to see it?
Also absolutely.
There’s something about standing in a place where history suddenly stops being something you read about in a book.
These were real people.
They lived entire lives.
They had families, fears, routines, favorite foods, inside jokes and probably plenty of drama.
And hundreds of years later, their stories still linger.
That’s the kind of history that fascinates me.

But Let’s Get Back to the Pasta

Because I can’t pretend the food isn’t playing a major role in this decision.
If I’m going all the way to Italy, I plan on eating accordingly.
Pasta.
Pizza.
Fresh bread.
Cheese.
Gelato.
More pasta.
And wine.
So much of travel, for me, is about experiencing a place through its food.
I don’t necessarily want the restaurant designed specifically for tourists.
I want the little place tucked down a side street where somebody’s grandmother has been making the same sauce for forty years.
I want to order something I can’t pronounce.
I want to discover something I’ve never eaten before.
And I absolutely want to sit outside with a glass of Italian wine, looking at buildings older than my entire country, wondering how this somehow became my life.

I Want the Italy You Can Feel

That’s what really puts Italy so high on my bucket list.
I don’t just want to see it.
I want to feel it.
I want the church bells.
The cobblestones.
The tiny cafés.
The crowded piazzas.
The ancient ruins sitting casually in the middle of modern cities.
I want beautiful architecture during the day and slightly creepy history at night.
I want to walk until my feet hurt, eat until I’m ridiculously full and end the evening with a glass of wine somewhere beautiful.
And if there’s a ghost tour nearby?
Well…
Obviously we’re doing that too.

Maybe That’s My Perfect Kind of Adventure

The older I get, the more I realize my favorite trips aren’t necessarily about relaxation.
They’re about curiosity.
I want to come home with stories.
I want to learn something.
I want to stand somewhere and think, I can’t believe I’m actually here.
Italy feels like one of those places where every corner could hold another story.
Some romantic.
Some beautiful.
Some delicious.
And some buried deep underneath the city surrounded by skeletons.
Honestly?
Wine, pasta and catacombs sounds pretty close to the perfect vacation to me.