High School Study Abroad in Sorrento, Italy

I had an amazing experience in Greece with MEI. All the teachers were genuinely interested in our wellbeing and making sure we all had an enjoyable experience. All the places that we stayed at were amazing and well set up and you could clearly see all the planning that went into our trip. Not once did I feel uneasy or unsafe. I can confidently say that I grew both as a student and a person on this trip. I actually really enjoyed all of our assignments and lessons and felt as though they really fit the places we were visiting. The people were great and I will cherish the memories that I made on this trip for many years to come!

My summer last year at MEI was amazing. I did the Odyssey program and it was the experience of a lifetime. I got to see historical sites and artifacts I never thought I'd be able to, made many new friends, and learned English from some of the best teachers I've ever had. I could notice how my writing considerably improved in a single month. The only piece of feedback I can think of is how I would find it useful if a tracking sheet with a list of assignments was provided beforehand so that I can budget my time wisely, even if the sheet is subject to change. I assumed that I had more time than I did and had to finish my procrastinated projects at the very end. I recognize that the procrastination is definitely on me but it could have been helpful to know how many assignments were left to spread the work out more evenly. Other than this one piece the organization and quality of my learning were outstanding. The accommodations were amazing everywhere, and the day was a perfect balance between learning, guided expeditions, and free time. I would strongly recommend MEI to any student looking for a fun, memorable and productive summer program.

At first I was so nervous I had never been out of the country and I was going on this amazing trip all by myself without knowing anyone before hand. I wasn't sure if I would get along with the people on my trip or even become friends with any of them, but I was so wrong about. Not only were the people on my trip amazing and are people I still currently stay connected with and travel with, but my counselors were also the best. When I went on this trip it was during the massive heat wave so there were somethings that we couldn't do but our amazing counselors on our trip helped us to make sure we had the best time and got the most out of our trip. Even though we couldn't do what we originally had plan they made sure we did things even better. When in Greece we couldn't do one of our activities because the heat was so bad but our counselors decided to take us to the barbie movie and it was amazing. The trip in it's self was amazing from the places we went and visited, the shopping we did, the food we got to try, the activities we did, and the way we embraced the different cultures. Not only did I leave the trip learning and trying things from different cultures I lefts with so many new friend and people who I will and do still constantly stay in contact with. Two of the people I met on this trip I had actually visited them a few months later and then we went on another TFT trip this past summer together. Not only will I never forget them and the others I met but I will also not forget all the counselors that I had on this trip and the others.

My trip was a blissful experience, from the beautiful scenery to friendships that I built, I could never anticipated bonding so closely with the other travellers and leaders. We became like a little family together, we ate, laughed, learned, explored, and adventured together. From the water activities, to helping out the less fortunate, there were always opportunities to experience the finer things in life. Those memories I will hold close to my heart.

This was not my first travel abroad program, but it was my first year traveling through TFT. This organization was by far the most coordinated and well-rounded company I have ever traveled with. The service felt meaningful and important, though I wish I could've done even more. While we were doing service, I was able to interact with the children at Smile of the Child, help to organize a clothing drive, and learn more about Grecian life from a local boys and girls cub. The accommodations chosen were exactly what I had hoped- small and "quaint" hotels (as opposed to a hotel chain or resort). The trip leaders were very organized, and I felt extremely comfortable talking to them about things ranging from hopes for the future and social scenes back home. This trip allowed me to really explore what it's like to go abroad in an independent way, and it also allowed me to check several things off of my fantasy bucket list. In Greece I had the opportunity to go scuba diving for the first time, swim in the Mediterranean, snorkel through caves, and so much more. In Italy I was able to see some of the most amazing historical sights, such as the Pantheon, the Colosseum, Piazza Navona, and more! I would definitely recommend this trip for anyone who wants to have a well-rounded trip. I was able to see the tourist sights, help local communities, and make some of the best friends in my life. TFT definitely follows their motto- be a traveler, not a tourist.

Honestly this was one of the best trips ever. Besides the amazing food, I made friends for life and got to put work into Italy’s community. I loved volunteering along with all the adventures we went on.

This trip gave the opportunities to have the summer of my lifetime! We started out with a week of community service in the gorgeous setting the Cinque Terre. During this week we amounted 20 hours of community service, but still had time to participate in different activities within the different towns. From there the group moved south- from Tuscany to Sorrento, even stopping in Rome for a few days. The itinerary was jammed packed with different planned activities for us to participate in, as well as built in free time for us to have the ability to explore the towns. The counselors were amazing on this trip, making sure that we were safe at all times, while still giving us time to explore on our own! They were pretty cool and it was super easy to talk to them about ANYTHING going on, if anything happened :)

Over summer I went on the Italy Service and Adventure trip with Travel for Teens and it was absolutely incredible. We volunteered at an Italian elementary school and a monastery during the beginning of the trip, and towards the end we took part in many fun activities. For example, we went to Vatican City, spent a day on a boat off the Amalfi Coast, and went to the island of Capri. Each day was a new adventure and I had some of the best experiences of my life on this trip! Even with all of these fun activities, the Italian food was by far the best part. TFT knew all of the amazing food spots and I will never again be satisfied by Italian food in America!

Over summer I went on the Italy Service and Adventure trip with Travel for Teens and it was absolutely incredible. We volunteered at an Italian elementary school and a monastery during the beginning of the trip, and towards the end we took part in many fun activities. For example, we went to Vatican City, spent a day on a boat off the Amalfi Coast, and went to the island of Capri. Each day was a new adventure and I had some of the best experiences of my life on this trip! Even with all of these fun activities, the Italian food was by far the best part. TFT knew all of the amazing food spots and I will never again be satisfied by Italian food in America!