Italy 2025 - Day 6: Reflections on Rome and Travel to Valdobbiadene - Abe, Karissa, Brynn, and Allison

The group boards the train in Rome to Padova, from where we traveled onward by bus to Valdobbiadene to meet our host families.

As our journey in Italy enters the new phase of home-stays with Italian families, the long train ride out of Rome proved to be the perfect time to reflect on the group’s experiences in Rome. Below, Abe, Karissa, Brynn, and Allison each reflect on what the Rome leg of our journey meant to them.

Abe:

When I look back on my time in Rome, I feel amazed at how much history we walked through in just a few days. Standing in the Roman Forum, where Romans would work every day and where Julius Caesar’s funeral was held, made me feel connected to the ancient world in a way I didn’t expect.

The group reads the Latin inscription on the Arch of Titus in the Roman Forum.

The layers of history at San Clemente, where a 12th-century basilica sits atop a 4th-century church and a 1st-century Roman house, showed me just how deep Rome’s past runs. That also was the place where I gave my tour to everyone. Nathan and I led the group masterfully through the church. It was surreal to think that people walked the same streets we did thousands of years ago. One of the most meaningful experiences was connecting with my classmates during our long walks and dinners. Whether we were taking turns leading tours or getting lost in the Vatican Museums(like me), these moments brought us together in a way that a regular school day never could. I felt that the connection to people was also found when we went to an Italian school and got to meet Italian high school students. I felt that when I interacted with them, I better understood Italy’s many similarities with American culture. Moreover, I think that the people that I met during this time gave me a sense of connection with Italy that I will never forget.

Of course, no trip to Rome would be complete without mentioning the gelato. We had it almost every day; somehow, it never got old. Whether after an intense climb up St. Peter’s Basilica or a long afternoon wandering through the Forum, gelato became our reward, fuel, and sometimes even our motivation. The experience was unforgettable. This trip wasn’t just about seeing history; it was about living it, with good friends and great gelato.

Karissa:

Today we take the train to Valdobbiadene and our Italian students, leaving Rome after five days.

On the train from Rome.

The past five days have been filled with adventure, learning, lots of walking, good food, and fun with our group. This trip is the first time I have ever been in Europe and already, barely halfway through, Italy has become one of my favorite places I have travelled to. One of my favorite aspects of this trip is getting to connect with peers that I did not know before. Going everywhere and doing everything with these people really allows me to build bonds with people that I may have otherwise never talked to. Another one of my favorite aspects of going to Rome with Poly was getting to learn so much about ancient Roman civilization and seeing places/things that existed during that time. Thanks to our wonderful Paideia fellow Kaitlyn, I gained invaluable knowledge about Ancient Rome that I never would have gained had I not gone on this trip. For example, when we visited the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian, I got to see the tombs of both Christians and non Christians who lived around the 3rd century AD. The catacombs were my favorite place we visited in Rome because they showed me that these ancient people actually existed outside of the history textbooks and that they were just as human as anyone living today. Reflecting on my time in Rome, I am eternally grateful for this opportunity to visit Italy with Poly because it is truly a unique experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Fragments of funerary markers collected at the Basilica of St. Sebastian, near the Catacombs.

Brynn:

As we departed this morning at 8:30 for our train ride for Valdobbiadene, I wanted to reflect on how appreciative I am for our time in Rome. Little experiences like disconnecting from my devices to learn about Rome’s culture to the bigger experiences such as using my translation skills from Latin to fully emerge into ancient Rome is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Viewing multiple artifacts and paintings I’ve only ever seen in images is surreal; it seems like just yesterday I was staring at the same artifacts on the whiteboard in Latin class! Specifically, yesterday when our group visited the Vatican Museums we passed by the statue of Augustus of the Prima Porta. The meticulous statue of Augustus with baby Cupid wrapped around his ankle caught me off guard as I evidently remember viewing the same statue in 7th grade on one of my first days of Latin class. Rome has brought me appreciation for Latin as it’s moments like those that I’ll forever remember.

The group serendipitously encounters the Prima Porta Augustus.

On top of all that, I’m grateful to be surrounded by fellow Poly students as we’ve all done our best to tackle the city. Whether it was working together to translate a latin passage Kaitlyn threw at us or walking as a big group by ourselves to grab gelato at night, there’s no one I would rather experience Italy with than our Poly pod. As we transition to our home stay, I’m confident that our cohort will continue to experience Italy’s beauty and culture to its fullest!

Allison:

Today we headed off on a long train ride to meet up with our host friends in Valdobbiadene. The train ride gave us time to reflect on all the great experiences that came from our week in Rome. The architecture and art that we saw at various sites such as the Pantheon and St. Peter’s Basilica was breathtaking. The ability to have free time during lunch and tour the city for ourselves not only gave us the ability to connect with Italy’s culture but also explore new friendships. We also got the chance to cross paths with Harvard Westlake students and share a nice dinner. Though we walked a lot, it was rewarding to visit many of Romes most iconic sites and learn about their historical value. 

The group reunites with our Italian friends in Valdobbiadene and disperses to stay the first night with host families.