July 30th
Howdy! Welcome to the final blog post for the 2023 Conway-Fitzhugh Honors Leadership Seminar.
As we were changing locations to prepare for our flight tomorrow, breakfast started an hour earlier than usual. Despite the early morning, greetings were equally cheery and lively.
We started the most important meal of the day like any other, carefully selecting items based on preferences we have each developed over the past several weeks. Croissant connoisseurs and sandwich enthusiasts alike enjoyed one final continental breakfast in Venice.
As we disembarked from our final trip on the water taxi, many of us felt a twinge of sadness from leaving Venice. We retraced the route we took three days earlier along the grand canal and to the bustling Venice train station. Some were glad to be rid of the constant rocking motion that water travel brought; others continued to say they still felt the sensation miles away from Venice.
After arriving at the station an hour early, many went to various convenience stores to buy a quick snack for the 2 hour ride to Bologna. Aboard the train, the group resumed their typical locomotive behaviors. Many read and slept, in any particular order. Others shared past experiences with real people while others battled AI on civilization games. Some watched movies or scrolled aimlessly through tik tok for the duration of the train. Eventually, all 37 members of our group arrived safely at our final destination in Italy.
Bologna (pronounced bo-lo-nya not ba-lo-nee), is known as the culinary capital of Italy and satisfied some Aggies with a gratifying lunch but disappointed others with overly oily pizza and sandwiches. Matthew’s first (real) calzone experience went decidedly well as he rated it better than the McDonalds version; a tough hurdle to beat. Gabe reported that his four cheese pizza was not four stars, and ultimately dubbed it “ below mid”. Sid and Kyle’s group seemed to have found more success as they rated their spicy salami calzone and blue cheese pizza, respectively, 10/10. Some reported that the local Italian video game store was the highlight of their day.
After the hit-and-miss lunch, we made our way to the Piazza Maggiore, where we met our tour guide: Paula. We gazed at glistening storefronts, recognizing a few names whilst admiring the luxury Italian brands that beckoned to take the last of our euros.
The tour guide led us through the city of Bologna, sharing her knowledge of the city’s ancient and modern history, its impressive architecture and landmarks, and the Bolognese culture that permeated the region. We glided over Etruscan ruins, marveling at the old age of bricks separated from us only by a glass pane, and laughed as TJ and Evan tried to communicate by whispering into opposite corners of an archway.
Walking through the city, we made a seemingly random stop at a luxury furniture store. Pieces inside were anywhere from hundreds to thousands of euros. As Paula led us deeper into the store, we eventually came to an ancient Roman road the store/city had been built upon. After this detour, we were humbled beneath the height of the Asinelli Tower. Watching dozens of birds circle the tower was quite the spectacle. Unfortunately, time did not permit us to venture inside the tower and climb to the top. Nonetheless, it was one of the main attractions of Bologna and was a great spot for 0.5x pictures.
After the tour, smaller groups formed and dispersed (always staying in quads) in various directions. The hungry Aggies went in search of dinner options while other’s mouths watered at the thought of returning to fruit markets we glimpsed earlier. While unsuccessful at first, the group eventually found the markets and reaped a bountiful harvest of grapes, peaches, and cherries. Rett was bold enough to ask a stranger to pet his dog after noticing the similarity between his and the stranger’s. We later learned the English bulldog’s name was Clara and she was killing it in her pink bandana.
On our way back to the hotel, we found ourselves straying from the Google Maps route and indulging in eye-catching storefronts. One of which was a Lego store. Full of nostalgia and a longing to return to our younger years, we geeked out over Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Ninjago, and Harry Potter Lego sets. After perusing for around 30 minutes, we made our way back to the hotel for a nice break before Gelato.
We all met up at Venchi, the premier gelato and chocolate company of the Bologna area. A fantastic finish to our Gelato tasting experience over this trip. Gabe expressed deep, heartfelt sadness over his last taste of authentic Italian gelato.
Everything changed when the water nation attacked. Suddenly the skies opened up. We thought we had avoided all precipitation by choosing Italy over the UK. We were wrong. Groups of Aggies scurried to the nearest pizzerias, restaurants, and eateries to avoid getting caught in the downpour that disrupted all hopes of an evening stroll. One group, after twenty minutes of walking through the showers, stumbled across their fellow Aggies enjoying a meal away from the rain. We returned to our hotel as the rain died down, bittersweet at the thought of our last night in Italy together but looking forward to the journey home.
As this is the last blog post for the 2023 trip, we would like to express our sincere gratitude. First off, our chaperones, guides, and mentors, Rick, Raye Leigh, and Dustin. We thank you for planning this trip and allowing us to create lasting memories and relationships before our first semester at Texas A&M even begins. We thank you for exposing us to the opportunities and positions at A&M and guiding us towards success. Of course, we also are beyond grateful for taking us to gelato every night.
To our student leaders, Will, John, and Monse, we thank you for providing us with such valuable insight and guidance into being successful students and leaders among the large community of Texas A&M. We would like to thank you for treating us as friends and companions, sharing these one in a lifetime experiences with one another.
We thank our families, who followed our journey through Italy and supported us from abroad with their phone calls and messages. We look forward to seeing you again before Howdy Week!
For those of you who are reading this in anticipation for the 2024 trip, here is our one main piece of advice. Take that first step in talking to someone. We were all nervous on that first day, but the bonds we forged along the way have made all the difference. This trip became infinitely more enjoyable the more people we met and learned about, whether our companions or kind strangers. Try and make real connections with your fellow Aggies because, who knows?, maybe you’ll meet your best friend for the rest of your life on a bus ride to Castiglion or on a boat to Venice.
Ciaowdy!
Gabe Tracy ‘27 & Matthew Monroy ‘27
