EMU World Scholar Stories

The Fenz Award and the Mediterranean Cultural History Tour by Abbey Ventrone

	I attended my first study abroad program through Eastern Michigan University because I needed to get away for a while. I attended my second program because I was hooked on traveling. There are worse things that I could be addicted to, however traveling this day in age is not a cheap hobby. Heading to the Mediterranean for 35 days was not going to be an inexpensive experience by any means. It is kind of like those MasterCard commercials on television:
	Program Fees: $3,800 Round Trip Ticket: $1,385 Tuition: $1,300 Summer that I will never forget: Priceless
The commercials make it look so easy, just go on the trip worry about paying for it later. Reality is though, that there needs to be some thought put into the finances of an experience of a lifetime, especially for a college student with a limited income. Every nickel, dime, and penny counts. With every dollar saved, that is more that you can spend on an authentic Italian dinner, and that is something worth saving for. That is what I had to keep telling myself, when I did not buy the latest movie or bestseller for the last year. I knew that all the penny pinching and saving would be worth it. Receiving the Emanuel Fenz Scholarship to cover some of my course fees allowed me to use money I had saved to treat myself to various keepsakes. I was able buy the perfect Venetian mask for my Grandma and a Swiss Army knife from Zurich for myself. I still needed to budget my money wisely and carefully, but I had more room to indulge on some things that I may not have been able to before.	In Venice, we took a gondola ride through the labyrinth like canals. Not only was that a once in a time moment, I even had the opportunity to row the gondola! I got to wear the hat and everything!
In Rome, our history professor took us on a life walk that was quickly nicknamed the death march. We walked to the catacombs outside of the city. Then our professor romanticized a further walk, with promises of small cafés and shepherding moments, just a few more miles. Those few more miles became a thirteen-mile walk on the most important road of Ancient Rome, Via Appia. We ended up walking to a small town outside of Rome and took a train back to Termini. A three-hour walk away from the city was a fifteen-minute train ride back.
	My stories go on and on about adventures that I had that I surpassed even my wildest dreams. I learned that things are not always what they seem and that usually the tougher something was to get to, the better the view was. I followed my professor up a mountain in Delphi Greece, for one of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. It was also up on my list of longest and toughest walks I have ever been on, but it was worth it.
Of course, this was a study abroad trip, and there was studying. Sitting in the shadow of the Arch of Titus at the forum, brings alive the sight more than any history book ever could. There is no book in the world that can properly replicate art. There was a moment where we saw a piece of pottery in a museum from our book and everyone was blown away with how big it was. Truly the best way to learn history and art is to study the originals and on site.

On a trip like this you have moments that you will never forget and make friends that will last a lifetime. I spent 35 days with 30 complete strangers, from different universities and cities across the country. These strangers soon became my family for the summer. We laughed, cried, and had some of the best times of our lives together. Whether it was sitting and holding ice on a sprained ankle, or navigating the streets of Florence at the early hours of the morning, there was always someone there for you.

~Abbey Ventrone

Mediterannean Cultural History Tour 2008

Academic Programs Abroad
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