Dasha’s year in Italy

Hi everyone! My name is Dasha Vayn and I studied away for a year in Italy. I major in History and have a double minor in Italian Studies and Art History. My experience abroad profoundly influenced the decisions I have made since completing the year abroad and my academic career as a whole.

I did the Trinity Rome Campus in the Fall of 2023 and then continued my abroad journey in Florence, Italy where I studied at the Middlebury Campus in the Spring of 2024. I decided to prolong my semester away in the middle of my first part abroad because I not only fell in love with the country, but with the process of immersing myself so intensely in academia, art, and culture exchange.

While abroad, I had the chance to visit other countries in Europe such as: Spain, France, England, Albania, Greece, Croatia, and Kosovo. I made friends with locals and visiting students who studied alongside me. I also travelled around Italy and was fortunate to explore the country that hosted me for a year. Some of the trips around Italy were with my friends, but many of the trips were class and program trips which were some of the most memorable journeys I experienced from my time abroad.

Two trips that stick out to me when thinking about my Italian programs are the class trips to Naples and to Matera. These cities, while being aesthetically marvelous places to visit, were cities I didn’t expect to learn so much about while being abroad.

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Travels to Naples

During the trip to Naples, which was part of the Trinity Rome Campus program, the class visited the ancient city of Pompeii. There, we were able to time travel and imagine how the Romans lived 2000 years ago. We broke up into two groups and were led by tour guides who the program worked with. We saw the incredibly preserved rooms and learned about Roman culture that I didn’t know about before coming to Pompeii. We saw the Roman “fast food” stations where hot meals and wine were stored in barrels and accessible for people to stop by and grab some food to go. It was so hot and sunny and the group was blinded by the hot sun. We found protection in the various houses we were able to enter and do a tour around. We understood not only the architecture of Pompeii and Roman cities but the efficiency of the structures and adaptability they had to their environment – furthering our conception of Roman daily life.

Many of the houses hosted amazingly preserved frescos revealing classical narratives of Greco-Roman gods and goddesses, shrines, and domestic decorations. We went to an ancient bathhouse, temple ruins, and even saw the ruins of an old Roman theater. But the city of Pompeii is huge and we weren’t able to see everything. What we did see was memorable. The walking tired the group, so once we finished our tour of Pompeii, the class continued on towards Naples where we had lunch at San Carlo 17.

Covered with photos of Sophia Loren and steel pots and pans on the walls, I ate caprese salad and shared a pizza at the Neopolitan restaurant with the other students. Since it was so hot, everyone took their time at lunch which felt amazing. We weren’t the only ones who spent a good 2 to 3 hours at lunch, for many Italians take their time during their meals. We were in no rush and enjoyed the “dolce far niente” after our Pompeii excursion. After we rested, the program set us up with a tour from a Neapolitan man who took us around the city center and told us about the history of the beautiful lively city of Naples. Most trips to new cities such as this trip to Naples and Pompeii include tours which helped us understand the navigation of the city, its history, and the culture. The tours the study away program set up for the students is an aspect of my study abroad experience that I miss greatly. Since these tours weren’t part of any courses in particular, it is a chance to relax and get to know a city without any need to take notes.

In Naples, we learned about the religious and diverse elements of the city and the importance of the port to the economy. We walked around the narrow and bustling Spaccanapoli. Then during the group’s free time, I decided to wander to the historic center’s Vicolo di San Gregorio Armeno, where dozens of shops sell handcrafted traditional Neapolitan nativity scenes. These miniature nativity scenes were nothing that I have seen before. The scenes included waterfalls, genre scenes, and life in the city. It was a good idea I brought sneakers on this trip, because we were walking around so much and I really didn’t want to stop. Living abroad and being able to travel made my academic studies come to life and fill in puzzle pieces in history I didn’t know I was missing. But the traveling also made me so excited to continue my journey of learning that extended past my academic interests.

 

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Weekend in Matera

During the program that I enrolled in with Middlebury College in Florence, Italy during the Spring Semester of 2024, we too had a class trip that was very memorable. The entire program traveled to the city of Matera, located in the southern region of Bascilicata. The group of students that decided to be a part of the trip were told when and where to meet the day of travel. We drove on a big bus and had a couple stops during the 7 hour bus ride where we got coffee and lunch. We continued our journey through beautiful landscapes and most of the class slept and some of us made new friends during the ride. When we arrived in the city of Matera, we all got settled into our stays for the weekend. Most of the female students were placed in a hostel that was reserved just for the program which was very fun. About 15 bunk beds placed side by side filled up a big hall which we called home for the three days we were there. We all picked a bed and had a couple of hours of free time before the class was told to meet at our “meeting spot” in the center of the city for a short tour and walk to dinner. We had our evening dinner at a beautiful restaurant where a preset 4 course meal was prepared for the group. During dinner, the class shared their excitement for the upcoming days in the city and made plans for the free time we were told we would have. In this city built of limestone, the class toured the “Sassi” cave dwellings from the neolithic period. We even learned that a scene in James Bond was filmed there, to which some of the students reacted with “I thought this place looked familiar!” and “no way!?” The city captured something very special in its history as we learned about the city and walked around the grey and white architecture. During our free time, a group of us found a pizza restaurant down a couple alleyways at the bottom of the city’s big hill and tried to find some shade during our lunch. I had an amazing Diavola pizza and enjoyed the company of my friends with the city’s landscape all around us.

During our time there, we tried to not only learning about the history but the modern culture and heritage the city prides itself in. One of the cultural products Matera is known for is their Matera pane which is the traditional bread, baked into a gigantic loaf with a crunchy crust. A couple friends and I sat outside a bakery and shared one of the pane di Matera after walking around the city during our free time. The groups usually split up into 5-10 just depending on who you end up getting close to, but all the students were so friendly. Depending on the number of students that decide to come on the trips, the dynamic of the trip changes. Whoever is an early riser in the morning where we meet at 10 for a tour, for example, were heading out together to grab a cappuccino and a cornetto from a nearby coffee shop. Traveling gives students the opportunity to create a routine in a foreign city and country which is an incredibly unique experience.

Visiting cities that ooze history influenced my academic and social experiences abroad. The travel and immersion I was able to access and experience due to the opportunities abroad fundamentally changed me as a student and person. Traveling with a group of students who are in similar shoes as you are creates friendships which can last for lifetimes. I can’t advise studying away any more than I already do – if you think it is right for you, do it!

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All photos by Dasha Vayn

Dasha studied away Fall 2023 at the Trinity Rome Campus. CLICK HERE to learn more about this program. Dasha also studied at the Middlebury Florence program. CLICK HERE to learn more about this program.

Visit the Semester Study Away Process website to see how you can begin your semester in Italy!