Submitted by Caitlin Callahan on the 2024 Winter ITAL/LLCU program in Siena, Italy…
For our trip, we first flew to Rome, Italy and spent about five days in the city. We stayed over at a hotel and got to know each other in our group. When being in Rome, we saw all the historical sites we could see in the timespan we were given. We had free days so we formed our own groups to go out and explore the beautiful city. We saw the Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica all in one day. For me this is a once in a lifetime experience, so I am going to soak up all the sites and cultures we get to see. We also went to Pompeii for the day and it was incredible to see the effects from Mount Vesuvius and how the bodies were preserved in the plaster. We left to go to Siena, Italy which was about a 3 ½ bus ride to go stay with host families. Which is an experience that is exciting, but so nerve racking, I have dietary restrictions, so I was extra scared. It was a bit rough changing location after getting so close to everyone at the hotel then leaving to come to Siena and be completely separated from one another (Submitted on January 7, 2024).