42 Students from Outdoor Society, an outdoor activity based club here at Hudson High School, ventured 4,678 miles from home in June to tour Rome and Southern Italy. They departed from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on June 3, and spent seven days exploring the Sorrento region, Naples and Rome. For many students this was their first voyage outside the U.S. and was one filled with unforgettable memories.
Day one: The first day began with a tour of a lemon grove in Sorrento. Students were educated on the history behind the business and were fortunate enough to taste test several of their products including flavored olive oil and various marmalade spreads. Followed by an afternoon at the beach where students had the opportunity to kayak in the blue waters.
Day two: The students completed the Path of Gods hike along the Amalfi Coast passing the beautiful villages of the area and overlooking the sparkling blue ocean. The trail was a long-windy path raised 2065 ft above sea level, and the duration of the hike lasted approximately four hours. Junior, Gately Hoffman, claimed after finishing the hike and walking down into Positano that, “the views were breathtaking and surreal.”
Day three: It consisted of a guided sightseeing tour of the island of Capri, an island with a luxurious feel.
Day four: The students took an excursion to the Amalfi Coast, exploring the vast coastline that brought about picturesque views. Students then had the opportunity to explore the town and taste the incredible food.
Day five: The students traveled to Mt. Vesuvius, an active volcano that buried the town of Pompeii. Students hiked to the peak of the volcano to get an unforgettable view of the crater and the surrounding cities. Then, students traveled to the heart of Naples and finished the evening with a pizza making class.
Day six: The group toured the ruins of Pompeii exploring ancient family homes, temples and mosaic roads. Junior, Caitlin Petrosino, claims “Seeing Pompeii was an unreal experience, the ruins were so interesting.” Then students spent the evening traveling to the world renowned city of Rome.
Day seven: They toured the monumental sites of Rome. They started by touring the Roman Forum, the remains of the center of the Roman Empire. Followed by an in depth walk through of the Colosseum where students examined the arena of gladiators. The afternoon consisted of visiting the world’s smallest country, Vatican City. Students were able to view the work of famous artists and step foot into the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Students were in awe over this trip. They didn’t just travel around a unique and beautiful country, but they were able to travel with their closest friends and connect with others. When asked what her most memorable moment of the trip was, Hudson High School graduate, Sarah Pacer, responded, “Being with my friends and experiencing everything for the first time with them, it definitely made us closer.”
There were countless takeaways from this trip. Pacer claims that her most valuable takeaway from the trips was, “it’s so incredibly important to be flexible and kind when traveling with such a big group”. The group consisted of 50 travelers and with that came a lot of organizing and trial and error when attempting to navigate the large international airports.
The trip was executed so smoothly after over a year of planning. However, there are a few critiques students would have made to make the trip even more spectacular. Hudson High School graduate, Constance Boller, stated, “The only thing I would have changed would be more informational tours or museums, or more time in the countryside.” The students were fortunate enough to have tour guides for the more historic monuments they visited. Although the tours were definitely on the shorter side to accommodate the fast pace itinerary, some of the history lovers on the trip would have appreciated longer and more educational excursions.
When it came to meals, an itinerary outlining each dinner was distributed to the students, there was a fixed menu with alternate options for students with certain dietary restrictions. Majority of the meals consisted of pizza or pasta of some form. Many students enjoyed sharing meal time with all their friends on the trip, however some felt as though because of the large accommodations needed to seat the entire group, the restaurants chosen lacked unique Italian food that properly represented Italian culture and only pleased a small group of students. On this subject Hoffman claimed, “If I could change one thing about the trip, I would want the ability to go out for dinner on our own each night. This way we could have been able to try more authentic and respected Italian restaurants.” This would have also cut down on the upfront price tag allowing students to budget their meals accordingly when the time came.
The trip was organized by Educational Tours Inc. and provided students with their own online page where they could fundraise for the trip allowing more students to enjoy the beauty of Italy alongside their closest friends. They also provided the club with their own personal tour guide who was an expert on the traveled regions and would stay with the group for the duration of the trip.
The students were immensely impressed by the entire trip, every single aspect of the trip was enjoyed by all. When asked her impressions of the country Petrosino responded, “I thought that italy was such a cool place and I would definitely go back if given the opportunity. The history was so interesting and everywhere we went not only had gorgeous views but also intricately designed architecture.”
The trip will be a prominent part of the student’s high school experience and traveling with Outdoor Society makes the experience even more unforgettable!
