Italy 2025 - Day 12: Returning Home and Reflection - Brynn, Nathan, and Jessica

A group photo taken last week at Rome’s Colosseum.

The Poly Group landed safely at LAX at 1pm on April 3rd, thus marking the end of our journey to Italy. Below, Brynn, Nathan, and Jessica share some reflections on what the second leg of our journey in Valdobbiadene meant to them.

Brynn:

Throughout our time in Valdobbiadene, I’ve learned the importance of community and lifestyles of the residents that wouldn’t necessarily be seen throughout a vacation. By spending a week at a home stay and attending daily field trips around Italy with the Italian students, not only did I experience the daily life of an Italian teen, but I also reflected on the similarities and differences an American teenager faces compared to an Italian teen. Whether it was waking up at 6:30 every morning or having a multiple course meal for dinner, I definitely adapted to a new routine throughout this past week. On Tuesday, I was lucky enough to experience a true Italian cuisine made by my Italian student's uncle at his restaurant. While eating dinner with two of the Italian students and their parents, I got to learn more about their experience growing up in Italy and specifically their passions. As the uncle went around serving us dinner, his sister, my Italian student's mom, explained how his passion for cooking and food motivated him to work hard and create new food combinations while advertising his unique Italian cuisine to draw customers in. The uncle proudly showed my sister and me a picture of him serving two of the Italian pageant winners. His excitement was visible the whole night as he brought out each dish one by one and would ask what we thought. Experiences like this you can’t capture in a vacation and I’m grateful that I got to experience what may be just the little things that bring together the Valdobbiadene community.

Nathan:

During our trip to Italy, I was provided a once and a lifetime experience. I bridged new connections with both my fellow Poly students and the students at Giuseppe Verde. I became close to so many people who I never would have met if not for the Poly GIP program. Traveling to someplace new is such a unique and incredible experience. The knowledge I gained on this trip about Roman architecture astounds me and I cannot wait to return to my Latin classes after this tangible experience with what we have been studying in our class.

Jessica:

During my stay in Valdo, I was able to explore and experience the vast cuisine and historical treasures hidden within the city. Experiencing a new way of living, my host family in Valdo was more than welcoming and understanding throughout my trip. I had a great time talking and hanging out with them. The city itself is stunning for its intricate layers and details with spiraling fields of grapevines, and the tumbling hills that the city rests upon. This trip has been truly memorable, and, in my final reflection, I find that I learned a lot about smaller cities and Italian culture during my stay in Italy.

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