Written by Italy & Greece Student, Hudsyn Toppenberg
What’s New in Our Journey?
The past week has been full of incredible experiences in unlikely places. The group traveled by train to a quaint campsite called Paladini, nestled beautifully in the region of Garfagnana. It was quite an adjustment for the group to go from a big and bustling city like Florence to a rustic campsite, and it definitely took some getting used to! But after the first few days, we all found ourselves really enjoying the change of pace. We met volunteers at the campsite from all around the world and got to work with our hands in ways that many of us hadn’t done in a long time. Our host, Colm, really made Paladini feel like home.
Top Three Highlights of the Week:
Capture the flag!
Our group got the opportunity to play a very intense and long game of capture the flag, where our territories spanned far across the Paladini campground. Many of us found ourselves crawling through the forest, in creeks, and really challenging ourselves for the sake of the game. It was truly an incredible experience, being able to play a game with newfound friends in such a beautiful place. In a way, the experience brought our group so much closer together, as well as closer to nature.
Building a pizza oven!
Every morning, all of us were tasked with different jobs to keep the campgrounds running, and one such job was helping to build and decorate a pizza oven for the site. We only used organic materials and were built using techniques that had been used in the region for thousands of years. We used a mixture of wild clay, limestone, and water and splattered it all over the structure of stones before covering it in a myriad of mosaic tiles. We unfortunately left Paladini before the mosaic was finished, but we were able to taste some delicious pizza made from the oven we helped create!
Nighttime campfire sessions!
Each night after dinner, our host, Colm, as well as some of our students and the volunteers at Paladini, played guitar and sang around the communal campfire! We got to hear music from all over the world, which was an incredible experience for all of us. Many of the students in this program are musicians, and the opportunity to share and experience art from others truly made our time at the campgrounds one to remember. We all really enjoyed the chance to share the magic of live music in such a unique setting. I honestly fell in love with the community at the campgrounds each night, having the opportunity to share and experience the breathtaking art of others.
Challenges We’ve Faced (and Conquered!)
Our group was incredibly unified this week; however, many of us struggled with the weather conditions at the Paladini campgrounds. When we arrived, we hiked during a torrential downpour, one which we assumed would calm down throughout the week. We were unpleasantly surprised to see these conditions continue for the next few days, making it difficult for many of us to complete our daily work and stay dry in the process. It was tough, but somehow we all managed to pull through with surprisingly good attitudes. Despite the cold and harsh weather, we found ourselves around the fire, playing games and sharing stories as though the rain was just an afterthought. We worked hard to maintain positive attitudes about the weather and powered through as a group. I believe we did a really good job managing the difficulties nature threw at us during our week at the campgrounds.
Reflections and Gratitude:
This week, we were all grateful for the opportunity to rest and recharge after a chaotic week in big cities like Siena and Florence. While many of us adored the experiences in such culturally rich places, it could be overwhelming and disorienting at times. We often found ourselves drained, and it felt like Paladini was the perfect place to recharge after the big cities. It offered us the priceless opportunity to get closer to each other and the natural world around us, and we really all put noticeable effort into making the most of our tech-free time together. A common theme this semester has been learning how we, as humans, are part of nature, and how getting in touch with nature is really getting in touch with an extension of ourselves. Throughout our time at Paladini, we were able to connect not only with ourselves but with more honest versions of each other, and for that, we are eternally grateful. I know that we will continue to look back on our experience in Paladini as one of beauty, art, and community—a safe space where we were free to take care of ourselves and reconnect with nature and, in turn, ourselves.
