i was privileged enough to be able to go on a study abroad trip to italy from may 18 - june 8, 2025. this was for a class called, “natural resources and civilizations,” which goes towards my sustainability minor. we traveled all around italy and sicily, learning about history, art, and sustainability. this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that i am forever grateful for, as i learned so much and had such a great time. i’ll be able to use these experiences for the rest of my life in my education, career, and life in general.
class - natural resources and civilizations
faculty advisor - chad heinzel
members - starr claussen, ashleigh pape, david andrews, laura comstock, lauren snyder, ebbie sweet, trista schmidt, kate maldonado, evelyn torres, ulises olaiz, sara beckwith, caitlin klim, andy meyer, heather asmus
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1dgmhRA64bNJFwfOgdjWlW
bagni regina giovanna, sorrento
the swiss alps i flew over on the way to italy
throughout this course, i learned more than i thought i would about a multitude of things. for starters, i learned a lot about the sustainability practices in italy. they separate their trash between plastic, glass, paper, organic waste, and other. in some hotels we stayed at, you had to put the keycard in the light switch to turn on the electricity in the room (saving energy). the mcdonald’s we ate at in rome had wooden utensils and all cardboard materials that could be recycled. every area we stayed in/visited were very walkable areas. the public transportation is fantastic - bus, tram, train, streetcar, etc. for the train, we can buy a rechargeable card. instead of using plastic containers for things like sauce or nutella (like we would in the us), they use glass instead. they reuse building materials (such as stone or marble) from buildings to build other buildings. in rome, they have waterspouts for people to fill up their water bottles. in some bathrooms, you have to push a button to step on a pedal to use the sink (to save water). they don’t use bags at grocery stores. they air dry clothes in the sun. they typically open the window to let air flow, rather than use ac. they are very energy and waste conscious, something i’ve noticed we aren’t in the us (at least, not to the same extent).
i learned a lot about history as well. we learned about the ancient greeks, the romans, the elymi, notable people in italian history, art, civilizations, and how the world/civilizations have changed over time. getting to see the ruins, the buildings, and other artifacts from those times was truly and incredible experience. the feeling i got walking through these cities, being fully immersed, was so surreal and like nothing i’ve ever felt before. it’s one thing to look at history from the outside; to
study the items we find and learn about what life was like, but it’s a totally different thing to walk the same streets as those people, to stand in the same buildings as them, to see how they truly lived their lives. it’s an incredible feeling. like, i was literally touching history, walking through time. it’s a crazy feeling. i also loved looking at all the artifacts in the museums we went to. all of the items are so old (obviously), and it really makes me think about the people’s thought processes and how they invented what they did, how they learned and figured out what they did. it’s fascinating thinking about the thought processes and reasons they had to think of some things. the psychology is really interesting to me.
through the course, everyone had italian alter egos. mine was leonardo da vinci. i enjoyed hearing about everyone’s alter egos; it was cool to learn about so many different influential people in italy’s history. i also enjoyed going to all of the museums and seeing all of the art. it was very interesting to see how art evolved through time. also, the buildings in rome and florence are almost art pieces in themselves; the architecture is beautiful. i was constantly looking at the floors and ceilings of the buildings and museums we went to, as they are so intricately designed and gorgeous.
i also learned a lot about italian culture. they pride themselves on their food and are willing to help you learn how to speak italian correctly. one thing i didn’t like was how they are unwilling to move out of your way when walking on the sidewalk - i don’t think a single italian moved out of my way when we were walking towards each other. i do appreciate, however, that the pedestrian always has the right-of-way and that drivers always stopped for us when we were going to cross the street. the hosts at the places we stayed were also super nice and homey. they made us feel very welcome, which was nice.
i’m so grateful i had this opportunity and was able to learn so much and be fully immersed in italian culture. getting to see and experience all of the history, art, and culture was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. the food was also a major plus :)
with this trip being so long and getting to experience so much, i decided to list a couple of my top highlights from the trip, in no particular order.
hiking stromboli and watching it erupt at night - one of the coolest experiences of my life
eating the best gelato i've ever had in erice - coconut and strawberry flavors
exploring the ancient ruins of the roman forum and pompeii and getting to touch and walk through history. also seeing how well-preserved pompeii was
swimming in the tyrrhenian and mediterranean seas
wandering through the beautiful streets of rome and florence and seeing ancient buildings or churches just in the middle of the city. rounding a corner and just seeing a random ancient church is a crazy feeling
jumping off of ancient ruins into the ocean on our final day in italy
seeing all the cats everywhere we went (and petting every one)
getting to see my favorite statue in the uffizi museum - the death of alexander
eating pasta
collecting rocks and sea glass on every beach we visit
finding out rock beaches are my favorite
wandering around florence on one of our free days and running across the street/bridge as a group (me, starr, david, ashleigh, laura, and lauren) to watch a branch come up on the other side. it was just a random moment where i felt extremely grateful for being on the trip and with the people i was with
getting down poured on when we visited the trevi fountain at night as a group (me, starr, david, ashleigh, laura, lauren, and caitlin)
getting to ride the train (something i’ve always wanted to do)
seeing 14,000-year-old cave paintings
watching an octopus attach itself to sara’s leg (and her freaking out)
jumping off a boat into the open ocean with my clothes still on
having the best burger of my life
learning that i love caprice sandwiches and salads
getting to experience everything with my friends
