Winter break is usually a time for students to relax, enjoying the absence of homework or sometimes even taking trips to tropical places. In the midst of the usual ease and relaxation of winter break, there was one busy student preparing for the class of a lifetime. This student was sophomore Rebecca Twite.

Last January, Twite travelled with her family to Italy while her mom, a Senior Adjunct Faculty Instructor at St. Thomas, was teaching a study abroad course on ancient theology. During this trip, she spent two of her three weeks in Assisi, one in Rome, and spent several days exploring smaller towns like Siena, Florence, and Montefalco.

While in Italy, she and her family visited the homes of St. Francis of Assisi, had mass with the Bishop of Assisi, and of course toured the Coliseum. While in Rome, she and the rest of her group took advantage of their proximity to the Vatican, walking to it daily. Especially as she could see the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica from her hotel window. “[The view] was one of my favorite parts. It was jaw dropping to wake up to it every morning,” Twite said.

Though she was able to spend over three weeks in Italy, she certainly wasn’t relaxing. “We walked over 26,000 steps each day in the last week,” Twite said. Most of her time in Italy was spent learning about the theological history behind the Vatican’s cathedrals and art. And although she may not have been a student in the class she took full advantage of the time spent learning. “[I learned] about ancient Rome and the culture that existed 1500 years ago. And just seeing the differences between now and then is so eye opening,” Twite said.