Destination – Italy

Justine Hollingshead, Chief of Staff in the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, is on location in Italy for a University Scholars Study Abroad trip. Her blog posts will appear from time to time between her architectural, historical, and gelato experiences.

Greetings from across the pond – Europe – Italy – Rome…..for now. Two things I would not have said a year ago that I would be doing in May of 2016, one traveling to a place on my bucket list and two blogging. Now here I am, doing both. I have the fortunate opportunity to first of all work at NC State and second be asked by the Scholars Program to help advise the Florence Study Abroad program. 47 students arrive to Italy in a week. Ken Johnson, Sean Cassidy, and I will be helping to guide young minds, scary I know J

For now, my wife and I are checking out Rome. Then we head on to Florence and Venice. As luck would have it, our hotel, which used to be a convent (insert laughter here), is on the plaza of the Trevi Fountain. It is definitely a tourist attraction, with thousands of people visiting the beautiful fountain every day. The legend holds that if a visitor throws a coin over their back into the fountain, then they will one day return to Rome. My coin goes in tonight!

We have also been two of the 3.9 million people to annually visit the historic Colosseum, built in 70 A.D. Now it is off to see the Vatican and maybe a visit with the Pope. He and I would certainly have a great deal to discuss if we were to meet. I will save that for another day though.

Stay tuned for more on my travels. Later this week I will upload photos to a gallery page. Ciao!