Kaetrena's Reflection

Before traveling to Italy, I was feeling a bit of trepidation about the amount of experiences I would have in a short span of time - even my guidebook warned me to "take Italy slow" and to try not to "do" Italy. But I knew these cautions would have to be tempered by the fact that I was traveling with a group, and the pace of our trip would be dictated by the steady drumbeat that is group travel. In the end, my decision to take Italy as I came to it was the best plan of action.

Taking Italy in stride rather than building up expectations of what it "would be" allowed me to enjoy the experiences of riding a gondola in Venice or eating gelato in Florence just as much as watching the Tuscan countryside go by during our bus rides or patiently enduring the jockeying for a simple sandwich and pastry at a roadside gas station near a valley town. My stride allowed me the chance to enjoy the magnifience of the Duomo's architecture and sit in peace and reflection during an evening mass in its sanctuary. All of my nonexistent expectations were more than satisfactorily met in a simple plate of pasta in a beautiful restaurant near the piazza del Signoria. Most importantly, my unhurried but engaged approach to the trip allowed me the chance to make connections with some of the USCL's best ambassadors: our students. The students who I joined on this trip of a lifetime were lively and excited about their travel experiences (especially after witnessing the result of the Papal Conclave), and I am proud to be a part of what I expect are good memories.

I am very happy to have the opportunity to represent USCL in Italy, and am thankful to the USCL Travel Study program for its role in offering students a substantial opportunity to gain from the benefits of an international educative experience. I know their lives will be the richer for it as they go out into a big world that, in many aspects, is very small.