My study abroad program, Lorenzo de’ Medici, offers a collection of different “field trips” that the students can choose from and experience. This past weekend, I chose to attend a field trip that took me to Lake Garda, Verona, Pinzolo, and Madonna di Campiglio. I can say that the experience and the friends I made was well worth it.

We left at 6 am on Saturday morning and started driving north towards Lake Garda. Our supervisors were very informative and kept us well-knowledgeable of the places we were visiting. Lake Garda was so so beautiful; we spent an hour exploring before we had to meet back on the bus. We walked along the water, around town, and then found a cute café to have a sweet treat. We then got back on the bus and headed towards Verona – it wasn’t in our itinerary but I was SO happy they threw that in there. We had to stop here for a “lunch break” but the first place I made sure to go to was Juliet’s balcony. Juliet’s balcony and courtyard is free to enter, but the museum itself costs money. My friends and I had lunch nearby and then we got onto the bus to head to our final destination of the day – Pinzolo. Here, we stayed at the cutest little mountain lodge and had dinner at the hotel with everyone on our trip. It was so fun meeting new people and making new friends at dinner! In the morning, we also had breakfast at the hotel before heading to Madonna di Campiglio. We arrived around 9 am and started our 5-hour hike through the Dolomites. It was so so beautiful and we had a few guides that led us through the hike. From waterfalls, to mountain views, to a poisonous snake, the adventure was well worth it.

The field trips may seem like a steep price to pay, but the experience and friends that I made along the way was very well worth it. I met a lot of people from LdM that I have never talked to before and we all bonded very quickly. I also became closer to some girls that are from Denver that I am very thankful for. Because I went without my roommates, this trip forced me to get out of my comfort zone, with both the activities and meeting new people. I encourage other people that are studying abroad to take advantage of these trips provided by programs. It was so exciting seeing a part of Italy I probably wouldn’t have seen without it!

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