When I was 17, I had applied for summer learning program that is offered free to qualifying students here in the state of KY. It helps prepare soon-to-be high school seniors for college. I was very confident I would be selected, but I was not. I was crushed and my ego was a bit bruised, but I am so glad I failed because what came from it was one of the best experiences of my life.
After learning I had not been selected, I remembered a brochure I had receive in the mail from Duke University about summer learning programs they offered abroad. I dug it out of my box of college pamphlets and looked through it. I was torn between applying for the Greece and Italy program, but decided on Italy since my birthday fell within the dates for the Greece trip. (Isn't if funny what we found to be so important when we were in high school!)
I applied and was accepted to the program. So I took all the money I had saved to buy my first car (because unfortunately this program was not free!) and used it to make my way to Italy.I got to spend a marvelous 2 and a half weeks traveling around with about 15 other students and our teachers. My first day I couldn't believe how beautiful and historic Rome was, and I felt like the lucky person alive to get to experience it.
We went to Rome, Pompeii, Naples, Florence and Sienna. All my class lessons took place at the actual site for what we were studying. It was as if my text books had come to life! I got to go to the Colosseum, walk around the statue of David and climb Mount Vesuvius. And thus my love of Italy (and travel) was born!
Since I went to Italy in the stone age (aka 2003) before anyone owned digital cameras (that's fotocamera digitale in Italian, because if you remember, camera means bed!) All my pictures are on film and only a few have made the digital conversion, but I will leave you with the ones that have.
~ciao bella~
Della Palma
Pantheon
River (fiume) in Firenze
Some girls from the program with me at the airport, about to leave Italy
The Vatican
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