Written by Italy & Greece Overseas Educators, Ariana and Megan
Ciao for Now!
It’s hard to believe, but the Terra group is on their last night in Athens! Did we really just do all that we did? Whatever motivated each student to step on that plane on March 5th and fly to a foreign country with complete strangers, we applaud them! It takes courage to do what others aren’t doing- to walk your own path. Many expressed that this gap semester went above and beyond their expectations.
Let’s reflect on all that we did:
Umbria: We stayed with a sustainable living community for a week in Umbria and learned Italian with the fabulous Chiara. We ate Sarah’s famous lasagna, woodworked with Fabio, and hiked under rainbow skies. Through thin walls, we got to know each other’s laughs and crazy stories from home.
Florence: We explored one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Florence, and stood in awe of the Renaissance and Gothic architecture. Lauren guided us through the history and Giacomo shared his garden knowledge with us, helping us create salt and sage concoctions to bring home.
Pilgrimage: We trekked 40 miles across a centuries-old trail that had been followed by pilgrims from Canterbury to Vatican City. We ate ancestral bread, foraged with Claudia, stayed in monasteries and old paper factories, and had 10/10 nonna cooking. Arriving in Siena, we formed our contrada allegiances and visited the HQ for the mighty Tartuca.
Paladini: In Paladini, we cooked chestnut pancakes, gardened, enjoyed campfire nights, lived off the land, and met travelers from around the world. Stop the lights! Colm, Caoimhin, and Ruadhan shared Irish culture and Italian language with us and the volunteers shared food, wisdom, and dance!
Rome: We ran around Rome and learned about a few thousand years’ worth of history, devoured countless plates of pasta, and consumed countless cups of cappuccinos. We saw the Pope on Easter, brunched to our heart’s content, and made our way through the Coliseum and the Vatican.
Southern Italy: We traveled by bus to southern Italy, where we worked with i bambini in the local elementary school. We explored Matera, hiked through the Sassi with Ivan, ate pasta in a cave with Cosimo, and enjoyed life on the Masseria with Birgit, Roxanne, and Michaele.
Crete: We lived on Crete and explored ancient archaeology, Greek language, and dancing, and honed our pottery skills. Xeno showed us the best of Crete’s beaches, Alex shared his ceramics knowledge, and we all consumed way too much baklava and G spot coffee.
Athens: We jetsetted to Athens, walked in the footsteps of the Greek gods and ancient philosophers, and celebrated our friendship. Carly taught us about the Parthenon and Hellenic Greece, while Marialena shared cultural insights and Greek cuisine with us.
Seliana: We retreated to the mountains of Seliana, where we were nurtured with warmth and kindness, organic food for our bodies and souls, and learned about permaculture, composting, living a minimalistic life, and how to stay conscientious of our carbon footprint. Kayil, Debo, Nejma, and Emily shared their time and love with us, as did numerous amazing volunteers.
We learned how to be better human beings and how to take care of this fragile planet. 🌎
All this in 8 weeks??? The growth each of us experienced has been exponential. The change in all of us will last a lifetime.
Ten adventurers began on a journey and traveled over 1,000 miles through Italy and Greece. We started as strangers, and we ended as a family. We first become travelers, then we become storytellers.
Well done, Terra! We are beyond proud of you.
Ciao for now, until we meet again. Now you have your own stories to tell.
