I know what I have given you. I do not know what you have received.
Italy is Joy's favorite vacation spot in the world.
Joy's first trip to Italy was on a break from the IES EU program. Agnieszka, Steffie, Tony and Joy headed to Florence! From their base at a hotel close to the Duomo, they would part ways to explore all the city had to offer. Joy was a fan of the lengthy, multi-course meals and the museums chockfull of historical masterpieces. Joy also saw her first Roma in Florence, and it pained her greatly to see the small children, many of whom were disfigured and without shoes, begging for money. Joy left Florence enriched, but with a twinge of disconcertment.
A few years later, in 2001, MHC dorm mate, Aimee, invited Joy to come vacation at her family home in Portofino. Joy remembers days under the sun sprawled on the rocky beaches of Portofino with a trip or two to a nearby café for a scrumptious caprese salad and gelato. Memories of climbing the windy mountain roads via car and motorbike still make Joy dizzy with excitement.