A Final Reflection—by Eddie

The final note of our trip is gratitude. 

Yesterday morning before the treacherous Hydrofoil ride to Capri, I knew it was the final day and my caffeine rush led me to exclaim how thankful I was for everyone and everything. Although others did not proclaim such outspoken gratitude, the sentiment connects us as we head home. 

Oscar, yesterday, could not believe that he lost his phone at the bottom of Janiculum Hill on Day 1 in Rome. Where'd the time go? [Note: Happy ending: Kelli and Oscar quickly recovered it at the church we had just left!]

From our fast-paced tourism based at Casa La Salle to our travel-packed excursions out of the Villa, our group evolved from a pack of Overlakers into a  tough, talented, and tight team. I love this group. 

Personally, this trip led me to develop many neglected parts of myself. The intensity of conversation and the abundance of opportunities for quality time allowed me to listen to my peers beyond my regular bandwidth. I came to see the truly wonderful people on this team in a new light. 

Tess challenged me to see the truth behind many political and social issues that I would never have explored without her. She articulated her values clearly and explained her perspective with refreshing detail. I am so lucky to know her!

Jake stayed up chatting with me in the bathroom/room late at night and we questioned everything -- the birth order of siblings, what it means to grow, and how family impacts our lives. He is a great guy, in his own way a great roommate too. 

Sofia brightened my day when she turned to me and asked "How are you doing, Eddie?" Leading to a wonderful conversation that led me to reach a new depth of connection with this team and myself. She is wonderful and I am so glad to know her. 

Will pushed me to master the soccer ball with his relentless passion for the game and his energetic approach to life. I appreciate his consistent energy and vivacious style of life. Can't wait for him to grow into his potential on and off the field!!

Jimmy made us all laugh. Once, he interrupted a conversation between me and Jake late one night in the Villa, bursting us into laughter when he said "feathers from the same bird flock together... this the truth is" or something like that.

I wish I could explain how every quality moment touched me. I can't hit everybody as they deserve, but Oscar's philosophical brilliance, Sam's friendly openness, Ruta's intellectual brutality, Neha's inspiring confidence, Farah's reserved joyfulness, Allie's sympathizing engagement, Sophie's insightful commentary, and Matt's ravenous appetite (for Italian food) also will remain with me for a long time in memory. I am so grateful for the quality moments I have witnessed here. 

Jake and Sofia helped me identify and articulate an emotional benefit of this trip for me: I identified as one of the students, fully engaged socially, rather than as ASB President. I love being on a team. When I stepped out of my title and into this trip, I found true peers and absolutely appreciate them with a newfound sense of closeness. I am inspired to recognize myself as another student at school, above my ASB role. 

As we return to "normal life" there is no way to maintain the same feeling of family. What I plan to do is bring this level of openness and warmth to my own family life and spread it wherever I go next -- in college this fall, in my adult life beyond, and everywhere in between. 

PS ~ The trip leaders will get something nice when we get back to school!! Thank you all.

A Day on Capri—Text and photos by Kelli (unless otherwise indicated)

We went out in style on our last full day in Italy by traveling to the beautiful Island of Capri. 

We arrived early to the ferry dock in Naples and waited for our time to step aboard the hydrofoil.

Our hydrofoil 

The raging rainstorm from the night before had cleared, and we were lucky to have a beautiful sunny day to enjoy this gem of the Mediterranean. 

Unfortunately, the rough seas from the earlier storm made for a very bumpy ride on the ferry, and some serious sea-sickness took its toll on many passengers. Our students were brave through this challenge and showed their best selves throughtheir perseverance and support of one another. 

Never had we been happier to step on solid ground after the nearly one hour ride—and the stunning views from the dock in Capri quickly helped us focus forward on the day that awaited us on the island.

 

Capri is famous for its lemon trees everywhere. 


First, we took the charming funicular up to the lower town in Capri. Immediately we lined up at the main bus stop to take one of the mini public busses up to the next town, Anacapri. 

A very small bus to fit on the winding roads of the island. 

It is in this higher town that we jumped on a 13 minute chairlift ride to the very top of the mountain. Everyone loved the peacefulness of the chairlift that offered us unforgettable views of the island, the sea, the city of Naples, and the dramatic volcano, Mt. Vesuvius, which we had climbed only two days prior. 

📸 by Sam

At the top, the students couldn’t believe the beauty. We enjoyed a picnic lunch packed for us by the staff at the Villa and then learned more about the ruins and various palaces on the Island left by Emperor Tiberius. 

The chairlift down the mountain was every bit as good as the way up, giving us a different perspective. I especially enjoyed seeing the private kitchen gardens below our feet as we drifted slowly above the land. 

Once we were back to Anacapri, we were given time to look around the small village, then we waited to take a bus back down to the main town of Capri. The students loved walking around the glamorous streets and simply sitting on the benches that overlook the main Marina below. Several students picked up souvenirs of Capri, proof that they had been to this famed locale. 

Neptune smiled on our return trip, and the seas (and our stomachs) were MUCH calmer on the way back to Naples. 

The Villa had a beautiful final dinner waiting for us, including pasta carbonara, wood oven roasted chicken and vegetables, and a delicious dessert of homemade cream puffs drizzled with dark chocolate. 

We were full, happy, and exhausted when we returned to our rooms to pack our suitcases. We agree that we will miss the Villa (especially the meals!) but we are ready to return home with new knowledge, experiences, and deeper friendships that this Project Week has allowed us to build together. 

Waiting to Fly out of Rome

We got up bright and early to leave the Villa at 5:00am by bus to Fiumicino Airport in Rome for our 11:35am flight. We are all checked in and waiting to board!

The Villa Vergiliana guestbook, designed by Ruta. 







These lounges by the gate are awesome!

Capri

Today we had quite an adventure taking the hydrofoil ferry from Naples to Capri.  More photos and stories will come soon, but tonight is running late and we are packing for a 5:00am departure from the Villa back to

Rome to catch our flight home. See you all soon!

A Photo of the Photographer—by Kelli (photo by Eddie)

The students might be getting tired of my constant photos, but I love capturing these special moments from our travels and sharing them with all of you at home. 

Today, Eddie shared a photo of me, the photographer, in which you can see how I’m always sneaking around the edge of the action, hoping to get that great shot for the blog. This time, I’m in a Roman amphitheater in Paestum. 

A Meal with the Baroness—by Matt (Photos by Kelli)

Shortly after exploring the ancient grounds of Paestum, we ventured off into the mystical Southern Italian countryside, eager for a delicious lunch we would never forget at the Azienda Agriturismo Seliano. 

The bus drive itself was memorable, as our group filled the trip with laughter and joy, furthering the close bond we’ve created over this trip. Alas, we arrive to a beautiful villa draped with vines, surrounded by a modern yet traditional styled garden. We then proceeded inside the villa to find a cozy interior, where we met the Baroness. 

To our surprise, she revealed that her family was given their title by Napoleon, and there is even a painting of her family’s ancestors, “The Bellini Family” in the Museum D’Orsay in Paris by Edgar Degas.  

The decree for the family’s title





Baroness Cecilia

The family crest 

Personally this was the closest I’ve ever gotten to dining with nobility, which makes the meal that much better. 

Soon the first course of food arrives, and within minutes our plates are covered with eggplant parmesan, zucchini in olive oil, fresh mozzarella and other cheeses (that the Baroness had made this morning from the water buffalo milk), freshly baked bread, a tomato salad, a delicate egg quiche, puffed pastries stuffed with fresh greens, and many more delightful appetizers.

All the food tasted wonderful, with several different textures and flavors complementing each other in every bite. The eggplant was a pleasant surprise for me, since I usually dislike the taste of eggplant. The Italian ways of cooking however, have once again exceeded expectations with virtually any type of food. Next up was homemade lasagna layered with artichoke and parmesan, which had a smooth texture that melted in my mouth. We have had several different types of lasagna in Italy, but I think this one may have taken top three.

And at last comes everyone’s favorite meal: dessert. We were given the pleasure to indulge ourselves into a traditional chocolate cake from Capri, which was essentially a brownie, but significantly better. With a crunchy outer layer and soft, creamy inner layer composed of a perfect mixture, everyone devoured this dessert in no time. As if that wasn’t enough, we also were spoiled with Italian espresso to cap off our delicious lunch. Many tried espresso for the first time, and by the looks on their faces it seems to be that they rather enjoyed it. 

Today was indeed quite the memorable lunch, perhaps the best food we had during this trip.