Ischia Session

Traveling to Italy through the Italy Abroad Program was an enlightening and immersive experience. As a college student who started college in the heat of a global pandemic, this abroad program was a leap out of my comfort zone, but I am so happy that I had this opportunity offered to me and followed through with it. First off, Vince, the founder of the program and lead liaison for all the events and trip plans, did an excellent job at being inclusive and informative with his emails leading up to the trip. The price breakdown was very straightforward from the beginning, the website is easily accessible and well organized, and Vince himself would always respond to emails with my questions swiftly and promptly. Prior to the trip, I felt very confident and prepared as well as excited for the immersive itinerary that Vince had sent out to everyone. I cannot speak highly enough of this trip after it concluded. I met my best friends, earned credit for immersive hands-on experience, saw world famous travel destinations like Capri and the Amalfi Coast, explored many Italian towns and had the opportunity to learn about Italian culture first-hand. One of my favorite memories with the group, although it is very challenging to pick just one memory, was our initiation dinner at the castle in Ischia. This was such a unique opportunity and really catalyzed my already growing excitement for the trip in general. I was able to meet the professors and other students in a more casual yet elevated setting, see a portion of Ischia from a lovely view and try foods unique to the island. A second memory from this trip that will stick with me would be wine tasting in Sorrento at a winery called Sorrentino. Similarly, we got to try a unique house-made meal in pairing with wine made at this location. What was unique about this, however, was getting the opportunity to walk through the grounds of the property and learn about the different conditions various grapes need to make different types of wine. The program overall was an incredible experience filled with fun, cultural immersion, laughter, wonderful food, and unique eye opening adventures and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an active and immersive trip to Italy.