Hi, I am Beena, one of the freshman students at Texas A&M University at Qatar. I am really grateful and happy to be selected for the Honors Leadership Program at Italy. I will be majoring in Chemical Engineering at the university. This is the first time I am out of town for a long time.
On the trip there are 5 students and one faculty member from TAMU-Q and today our journey started. It was early in the morning when we reached the Hamad International Airport. Our flight was at 8:30 A.M and it was a 5 and a half hour flight. It was a step forward to create amazing memories along with 20 other students who came from across the ocean. At 1:35 P.M local time we landed at Rome. The airport was pretty much crowded and had to wait at the immigration counter for about an hour. At the end we made it and took our baggage and moved to one of the restaurants to grab food. Over there we meet the people from The States which was really amazing. Later at that day we started our journey to Assisi which was moreover a long journey to go. It took more than two hours to reach our hotel at Assisi. It was a pleasant journey. Soon after we reached the hotels, we had our dinner ready which was delicious. After that we had our Gelato night which was the first time many of us had it, it was an amazing experience. The night life of Assisi is one of a kind; the chilly moonlight, the walking up-down the hill, the lovely people around you and many more things just refreshes your mind. The most fascinating thing that probably almost many of us felt was the amazing summer climate of Italy which was ironically not so hot. At the end it was a fabulous day with many new experiences and of course made many new friends.
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My name is Heath and I will be majoring in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University-College Station, but most importantly, I am the loudest and proudest member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 2023! Ayyyyy!!!
Today’s adventure began with our layover at Heathrow Airport in London. Between breakfasts ranging from porridge to Gordon Ramsey’s fine dining, we prepared for our final flight that would take us to Rome. Many of us began snoozing as soon as we boarded the plane, waking up to the sight of golden fields studded with green Cyprus visible even from the airport. We received our first taste of authentic Italian cuisine as we chowed down on pizza after having our passports stamped. Even with almost a full day of traveling behind us, our group still had energy for lively conversations during the bus ride to Assisi when the Houston and Qatar travelers joined together. When we arrived in the medieval city to breathtaking views of Italian countryside beneath St. Francis’s basilica, the scenery that had surrounded our history books sprung to life before our eyes. Cobblestone streets between ancient stone buildings felt like a fairytale come true as we journeyed to a delicious dinner at one of our hotels. Following courses of pasta, veal, and panna cotta, we heard from members of our group about the incredible history and sights to be explored within Assisi. Our next steps led us down steeply sloping paths to the city square featuring Roman architecture next to our destination: an authentic gelato shop. The cool air and glimmering lights throughout the town left us wishing only for more adventure as we returned to our hotels to rest for the coming day.
