If you ever decide to return to italy stay away from touristy areas like rome... sure there's a ton of history there, but there is so much more to italy. the smaller towns are much more welcoming, the food is 1000 times better, and with a little research you'll experience just as much history and culture (if not more) as you would in a tourist city like rome.
Some of my favorites are: Cinque Terre, San Remo, Sardinia, Lago di Garda, and my favorite Bassano del Grappa - home of the grappa.
