By Judith Espinoza

Being constantly surrounded by all the attractions of New York City can often make us oblivious to why so many around the world hope for the opportunity to visit the bright lights and noise of “The Big Apple.” That loud noise and exciting atmosphere is what gave Msgr. McClancy M.H.S., East Elmhurst, the opportunity to greet students from Trento, Italy, who were visiting New York City for the first time.

Antonio Di Secli and Nicola Mase, who were chaperoning the trip, were in complete agreement when describing so much history and culture held within the contents of museums and even the streets of New York.

“There was not much culture shock, at least for me, but I do love the melting pot found here,” Mase said.

A different Nicola, age 19, (whose name I had no idea how to spell) let us know that Trento was a much more quiet and conservative place, where their day-to-day schedule is very different from ours. The biggest difference he saw was in our food: from how we prepare it, to how much time we spend eating it. With him being  Italian, I took his food advice seriously and am now convinced I have to travel to Italy to taste an authentic pizza. I was even more convinced when my classmate, Stephanie Vasquez, told me compared to pizza in Italy, ours is “like a heap of grease.”

Fabio Minati, 16, told us in a very charming Italian accent that he found the mesmerizing activity in Times Square to be one of the highlights of the trip. However, he found agreement with Giulia Moser, when saying that despite the fun of New York, they would not trade it for their more peaceful and relaxed hometown of Trento.

What I think this trip taught both the travelers and myself is well presented in “The Wizard of Oz:” There is no place like home. I am in love with the craziness and noise of the New York I grew up in, even if the pizza is a heap of grease; the same way that after two weeks in a different place, all of the travelers wished to return home to their more peaceful and beloved Italy.