Giovanni Vigilante, Class of 2022
Giovanni exploring at the São Jorge Castle in Lisbon, Portugal.
This summer, Giovanni traveled to Europe for two and a half weeks with his cousins. The group stayed in Amsterdam, Lisbon, and ventured through southern Portugal. Next they explored the cities of Spain, and then flew to Edinburgh, Scotland. Some of the highlights of Giovanni’s trip included Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, the São Jorge Castle in Lisbon, the Alhambra, and the Sagrada Família. “It was an amazing experience,” Giovanni said, “I have always loved to travel and I want to see as much of the world that I can.” His summer trip served as the perfect way to fulfill his love for exploration while also pursuing his personal interests in art and architecture.
What inspired you to travel to all these places this summer?
My cousins and I did some research and knew that we wanted to see Spain and Portugal for the history, culture, food, architecture, etc. We went to Amsterdam and Edinburgh because the airline we flew on didn’t go direct to Spain or Portugal. We had to stop in those countries anyway, so we took some time to stay in them too. I loved trying new things, foods, and experiencing new cultures.
What is one lesson you took away from the experience?
I feel like I learned a lot about becoming friends and interacting with all different kinds of people. I stayed in hostels, which was a great way to meet people from all around the globe and learn more about where they came from. It made me realize how two places can be even more different and unique than you may initially think.