Michael James D'amato

Roam Italy: a Teacher and His Students Take the Ultimate Class Trip Michael James D'amato

If you have visited Italy or are going soon, you probably know the basics: ordering a coffee will get you an espresso, don't plan to shop between 2:00 and 4:00 PM, and Italians tip about 5 percent compared to our 15 percent. However, if someone tells you to locate the zebra stripes, asks if you want to borrow a phone, or recommends some local cannoli, there's a good chance you'll be caught off guard. During a seventeen-day escapade in a remote town two hours south of Naples, D'Amato and his students discovered the nuances of Italian society and much more. From being pick-pocketed to realizing there was no drinking age, the teenagers confronted many unanticipated situations. Whether you are contemplating a vacation in Italy or wondering what happens when a teacher takes students four thousand miles from home, D'Amato's travel journal will serve as an intimate guide to the pain and pleasure of cross-cultural immersion. His captivating accounts are filled with impassioned observations and practical advice that will help readers avoid the potential pitfalls of traveling abroad. Roam Italy will make even jaded world travelers slow down to savor the oft-missed beauty and meaning embedded in seemingly ordinary "everyday" experiences. "D'Amato has the soul of a poet." -Phyllis Johnson, Tidewater Teacher Magazine "D'Amato conveys the transformative nature of traveling to a foreign country, especially at a time when xenophobia and ethnocentrism are exceedingly prevalent. Humorous anecdotes about living with an Italian family are interlaced with historical tidbits and insights about cultural traditions." -Dr. Karie Mize, International and Multicultural Education, Western Oregon University