Curious about what a day in Sorrento could look like? Here’s what I did on a recent Thursday.

Vallone dei Mulini, a picturesque abandoned valley that I pass every day on my way to school

I started my day with breakfast at my host family’s house. I had an espresso with biscotti, some yogurt, a peanut butter and banana sandwich, and my new favorite thanks to Italy, a croissant with Nutella. After breakfast, I got ready for the day and finished packing for my weekend trip to Sicily.

After I said goodbye to my host family, I took my morning walk to the local elementary school I’m interning at. I love seeing the sweet students every morning! I helped in a 1st grade English classroom this day, where the kids were learning about the letter E.

Mount Vesuvius from Sorrento

Next, I headed to the Sant’Anna campus. I get to see Mt. Vesuvius and the Mediterranean every day on my walk to school! I had my weekly check-in meeting with the internship coordinator before my Cross-Cultural Psychology class. Then I had my weekly Leadership Exploration and Development class, where we heard from a guest speaker. Since class ended early, I had some time to work before I met a friend for gelato.

Mid-day gelato

I grabbed a salad from the grocery store on my way back to school and had my last class of the day, Italian. It’s been a little tricky lately since we just learned the past tense, but our professor is very patient and understanding!

After class, I headed to the Sorrento train station to take the Circumvesuviana to Naples. It costs around €5 and takes a little over an hour. Then I rode the metro to get closer to the port and walked the rest of the way to my ferry. Since this was my first time taking a ferry out of Naples, it took me a while to get to the right place, but I eventually made it on board and headed to my cabin. It was less than $15 extra to get a bed for the overnight trip instead of a deck seat, and I got lucky by having the whole four-person room and bathroom to myself. Once I had dinner, I worked for a bit before getting ready for bed. Then I went to sleep, ready to wake up in Palermo!

Written by: Hannah, Fall 2024 Sorrento student from Oberlin College