Wendi Dewey's Story

Heading out for Italy with the International Tourism Learning Expedition crew seemed almost unbelievable! I had planned to take a group of students to Italy in Spring 2020, but that plan was cancelled due to the global pandemic. Five years later, who would have guessed that Italy would come to reality (albeit with a different group of learners)?

When people find out you're headed to Italy, the most common question is, “What are you looking forward to the most?” This is a question I find very difficult to answer, especially when traveling with students. Quite honestly, what I look forward to the most whenever I travel with students to see the wonder, amazement, and learning experience through their eyes. Some of our students had never been out of the country before, let alone to a place where the language, time zone, weather, and culture would be different from their own. While we try to prepare them the best we can through pre-departure courses and planning, it always amazes me how they react to what they are experiencing (some positive and some not so positive).

The excitement and nervousness are palpable leading up to (and for the first few days of) the Expedition. Once on the ground and checked into our hostel in Milan, we were ready for the adventure. Ten nights, four different accommodations, six major cities, five train rides, six organized tours together, and numerous delicious meals, taxi, and subway rides – we did a lot in a very short time! While a couple of students were staying in Europe on an additional adventure, the students we traveled back with were very reflective of their experience (and looking forward to some rest, I think) – what they’d seen, done, eaten, etc. and how incredible an opportunity it was for them. It is so incredible that NSCC offers these experiences to students and faculty.

The personal highlights were the food (oh, the food!), the Colosseum in Rome, and seeing Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii. When you actually take a minute to absorb the history of what you are seeing and experiencing, it is unbelievable!