Before heading to Pompeii, I had the chance to visit the beautiful island of Capri off the coast of Sorrento.  It was peak tourist season there and very crowded, however I had an amazing time seeing ancient Roman ruins, enjoying hikes, riding a funicular and chair lift, and enjoying the local cuisine.  I had the opportunity to meet Salvatore, who shared the art of sandal making with me.  He has been making sandals in his family store for 60 years!!  Capri is one of those magical places that you see in the movies.  You have to see it yourself to know the beauty that this place holds.  I first visited here when I was 16 and I am so thankful to have been able to return.

I had the opportunity to visit Switzerland on this trip.  I had never been before and had such an amazing time!  Over 3 days I went white water rafting (level 3-4 rapids), did a ropes course with ziplining, and overcame my fear of heights by paragliding off the Swiss Alps. 
I was not going to do all of these adventurous things that scared me but I remembered telling all of my students to try new things and to CARPE DIEM so I had to take my own advice.  I am so glad that I did because I had an amazing time!  I hope you all get the chance to try these things one day!

I arrived in Rome, Italy after an all night flight from Newark, NJ.  I was fortunate to visit some of my favorite places in Italy and Switzerland before heading south to Pompeii for two weeks of archaeological bliss.  I hiked part of the Cinque Terre, swam in the Ligurian Sea, and ate traditional Ligurian food including their speciality, pesto!

I first visited Pompeii when I was 16 years old.  After completing my 2nd year of Latin in Mr. Rowland's class, I took a trip to Europe with my school.  I remember being enthralled at the ancient ruins, mesmerized by the amount of preservation throughout the site.
Now, nearly 17 years after that experience, I am the Latin teacher.  My love of Roman culture and the Latin language never subsided.  Through a grant from Fund for Teachers, I am traveling to Pompeii in July to create a virtual field trip for my middle school students.  
All of the usual butterflies are happening:  booking the flight, finding a hotel near the ruins, planning my train transportation, thinking about all of the delicious pasta and gelato...but I digress.  I am so excited to journey to this magical place to give my students a glimpse into the experience I had as a student.  My hope is to help them understand Roman architecture and art, and to develop a love for and fascination with the Romans.  
​
Throughout my trip, I will be blogging about my experience in Italy and Pompeii.  I will make narrated videos, take images, and collect artifacts and souvenirs to bring back to my classroom.  I am so excited and thankful for this opportunity!