Nineteen local youths—17 from Questa and two from Taos—experienced a nine-day journey through Greece and Italy. The trip was filled with historical landmarks, Mediterranean cuisine, and unforgettable experiences.
The group was led by chaperones Jennifer Vialpando, Lynnae Rael, and Erica Zito-Chavez. Their adventure began in Athens, Greece, where they toured iconic sites including the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, Olympic Stadium, Syntagma Square, Monastiraki Square, Temple of Apollo, and the Delphi Archaeological Museum. The students even had the chance to swim in the Aegean Sea.
From Athens, the group traveled to Kalampaka to visit the famed clifftop monasteries of Meteora and the mountain village of Metsovo. They then took a night ferry across the Adriatic Sea to Ancona, Italy.
“We drove through Tuscany and into Florence where we saw the Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Basilica of Santa Croce, Gates of Paradise, Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and Vatican City,” Vialpando said.
Some of the trip’s highlights included visits to the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pantheon, and Piazza Navona.
“There were so many historical sites, rich in art and culture, that I have difficulty putting it into words,” Vialpando said.
The group also enjoyed local cuisine, tasting traditional Greek salads, baklava, Italian gelato, tiramisu, and plenty of pasta and pizza.
For the chaperones, one of the most meaningful moments came during a walk back to the bus after a day in Rome.
“Erica and I were at the tail end of the group and both noticed how happy and content our kids were, just living it up in Rome,” Vialpando said. “They all had their bags of souvenirs and were laughing, talking, and following Fani, our tour director, like they’d been locals forever.”
Despite early jetlag and cultural differences, the students adjusted quickly. Vialpando said watching them grow in confidence—learning how to order food or say simple greetings in a new language—was deeply rewarding.
“The best part was watching them grow and work through the struggles of not knowing the language,” she said. “It was beautiful to watch our kids experience this throughout the trip. We all brought back some lifelong memories and hopefully a deeply embedded travel bug.”
Student travelers included:
Cieara Vialpando, Estrella Casias, Angelica Munoz, Sophia Smith, Kamryn Cardenas, Kiara Arellano, Jesse Mead, Vincenzo Zito, Jocelyne Ortega, Joshlyn Medina, Donny Santistevan, Aliyah Santistevan, Aaliyah Piper, Ricardo Leon, Alyana Leon, Alyse Lovato, and Dedrick Rael.
*Thank you to Jennifer Vialpando for assistance with this article.
