Have you ever been to Pompeii, Capri, and Naples in one weekend?
First we start with Pompeii.
Back in April 2025, all I wanted for my birthday was to see Pompeii in person and discover its history for myself. Though I couldn’t make the trip then, you can imagine my excitement when I found out it was part of a WorldStrides field trip!
Pompeii was every bit as fascinating as I’d hoped. The people who lived there clearly had an eye for beauty, from gorgeous frescoes that survived the volcanic eruption to beautifully designed homes. But what intrigued me most was a pomegranate tree that managed to grow and bear fruit after all that time.
Then the journey takes us to Capri.
In Capri, I took a solo boat tour just to soak in the wonders surrounding the island. As someone with a big imagination, I couldn’t help wondering: Is this where Odysseus got lost at sea? Is that the island of Polyphemus? The whole place felt mystical, and it set my imagination running.
Now my favorite part of the trip, Naples... or New York?
Lately, I’ve been feeling a little homesick. I’ve been missing the energy and bustle of home on the East Coast. But when I visited Naples, I was struck by the color and the art, especially the graffiti as a form of expression, and in a way, it reminded me of New York!
This is the ambience I was talking about! Although Naples reminds me a lot of New York, it’s truly its own city with its own beauty.
Isn’t it amazing how people express themselves in similar ways on opposite sides of the world? I talked with so many interesting people, from a vintage store owner to a street vendor, and we realized that Italians and Americans have far more in common than not. Slowly, I started to feel not so far from home.