5 Reasons I'll Never Take My Toddler To Italy Again

You may have heard that Italy is a perfect travel destination for toddlers (maybe even on this blog...), but I'm here to tell you why that's plain wrong. Here's the 5 reasons why I'll never be taking my toddler back to Italy.

1. The Food

My toddler LOVED the food in Italy. So much so in fact, that she now assumes that every cold treat will be "getalo" (and no... I will never correct this pronunciation!) Italy's food gave her an unrealistic expectation for what food should be- consistently delicious, full of clean ingredients, and always enjoyed with lots of smiles and laughter. I had to watch her devour carbonara with a passion I've never seen in her for food knowing that she'll likely never find something this good in the States.

2. The Development Boost

My one year old when we left for Italy vs. when we returned was a completely different kiddo. On arrival, her language consisted of about 10 words, but by the time we returned home, she was using new words left and right! How am I supposed to keep up? All of the language, art, and culture in Italy took my baby and sent me home with a kid!

3. The Admirers

That rumor you've heard about how much Italians love babies? It's true. I spent my vacation chauffeuring my little superstar around in her stroller. Men and women, old and young would point her out to their friends from across the street and restaurants would give her special treats. I'm convinced that if there were a next time, we'd be fending off the paparazzi!

4. The Stairs

At first, I thought the stairs would be a problem because I wasn't sure if her little legs could handle it... boy was I wrong! Maddie took each staircase, whether on the street or at a sight, like a champ (especially the stairs at the Duomo!) Her legs only got stronger, and now she can run and climb almost faster than I can keep up!

5. The Aftermath

On a normal Tuesday afternoon, you may now hear my one year old requesting pastries and gelato. When her dad comes home, she may greet him with an affectionate "ciao bella". But the most infamous change of all? I've created another me. She excitedly points overhead at each airplane that passes, loves looking at our passports, and enjoys pondering our future travel plans with me. I've created another travel addict, one that will only fuel my passion. RIP our wallet, but hello to a lifelong travel buddy!

Do you have tiny travel buddy too? Let me know in the comments and be sure to drop your email in the form below to get updates on our future content! We love to connect with families who love family travel as much as we do!

Book the flight, take the littles,

Kendall :)