Anonymous wrote:I am an American citizen. My great-grandparents on my mother's side were born in Italy. My grandparents on my father's side were born in Italy. We have been here in the U.S. since the late 1800s. I am the only person in my family to leave the U.S. for travel, and that was a vacation in Italy. My family had no desire to ever go back to Italy to visit or to live there again.
When I was a teenager, airfare was very expensive. I am just curious, with so much variety in geography in the U.S. what makes you desire trips to Europe (after one or two sight seeing visits) or to Mexican beaches and resorts or other countries?
You're probably too far removed from Italy if you can trace your roots back to the 1800s. I love traveling to Italy b/c I have family and friends there. Now I will say that when Dad went back (he was born there) 30 years ago, he was so "Americanized" that little thing bothered him - sharing a bathroom with another family while staying at a quaint inn, for example. We aren't inconvenienced in the States.
But those are trivial complaints. Traveling makes you appreciate other cultures (including your own) and makes history come alive. I can remember when people would eat in the Colosseum, which is now banned.