Welcome to my travel diary. I have been traveling around the world in a boat with my family for almost a year. The journey has been fascinating, and I am so grateful that I have had this opportunity. Just because I’m traveling, it doesn’t mean I am on vacation. I still have to study, exercise, and do other normal daily activities. I’m homeschooling during the trip, which means I study online or with my parents. I should also explain that I am really enjoying life on the sea, but it has its challenges. Sometimes there are storms that rock the boat. The rocking can make me feel sick. Long trips can be tiring, too. But this journey has given me the opportunity to explore new countries and see creatures like dolphins, whales, and even sharks.
My family just enjoyed a three-day visit to Italy. On the first morning, we stopped at a port near Rome. A port is a small town by the sea. Before getting off our boat, we had breakfast on deck, just as the sun was beginning to shine on the water. Rome is the largest city in Italy and the capital. It’s also a very old city, with lots of history. I was very excited to explore the city, because I’ve been learning about European history and art.
In Rome, we spent the day sightseeing. We went to the museums in Vatican City, and the Colosseum, which is an oval-shaped outdoor stadium built almost two thousand years ago. In the evening, we had pizza in a small restaurant. My mom had told me that I hadn’t really eaten pizza until I ate pizza in Rome, and she was right. It was so good!
The next day, we traveled south of Rome. We hiked up a volcano. There was no danger, because it hasn’t erupted in many years. After that, we visited the ancient city of Pompeii, which was destroyed when the volcano erupted about two thousand years ago. It’s now a famous tourist site where objects and buildings from the ancient city can still be seen.
The following day, we sailed along the Italian coastline and found some small beaches to explore. The great thing about living on a yacht is you can avoid the crowds. I took some photos of a beautiful beach scene I could see from a restaurant where we ate. Sometimes I try to draw or paint a scene in places we visit.
Now, we’re off to Greece.
