Photo courtesy of Alan Guzmán

Italy was a dream come true for junior Alan Guzmán.

A dream that was formed over years of hearing it from someone else; a big brother who, years before, had been on the same trip. Adrian Guzmán Franco had told stories of beautiful views and experiences that only came from a once-in-a-lifetime trip across Italy and Greece. His big brother had taken Latin for three years straight and had gone on the trip twice, each time forming Guzmán’s dream even more than the last.

Guzmán chose to take Latin for that one reason: for the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. It took two years of hard work inside the Latin classroom for him to finally see Athens, their first stop on the trip, from 30,000 feet in the air.

The sight was so small yet so big all at once; the deep blue sea crashing against the shore in a clash between light and dark stretching across the land. 

After an 11-hour plane ride from Chicago to Athens, Guzmán and the rest of the Latin class touched Greek soil. 

Before COVID, the Latin class took the trip every two years, but this trip was the first trip since 2020. Led by Latin teacher Joe Gehrer, seven Latin students went to Greece and Italy from June 20 to June 27.

The suburbs of Athens were filled with wonders to see, like Greek architecture, shops and restaurants only found in the streets, and displays of amazing workmanship in something as small as a single fountain or something as grand as a mosaic hidden inside a church. Everything, though, did not compare to what finally stuck with Guzmán: 

An Orthodox Church with beautiful mosaics scattered across the ceiling, shows of masterful woodwork, and a beautiful chandelier in the forefront of the church. 

The whole trip was filled with beautiful sights just like this one. Churches are too grand to describe, beautiful street views, memories shared between friends, and photos to capture the moment forever.

“It was so amazing seeing it in person,” Guzmán said. “Actually walking where the ancients did.”  

Athens had much more hiding amongst its many streets, like the Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis. Two sites that are filled to the brim with history. The stadium, which was originally built back in 400 BC as a simple racecourse, has been rebuilt time and time again. The Acropolis, an ancient city that now only contains the remains of what once was, is located on a rocky outcrop overlooking the city of Athens.  

“I feel like I’ve grown closer to all of my friends that went on this trip,” Guzmán said. “I feel like I’ve also learned so much on this trip, about history, about Latin and Italian, and about the cultures of Italy and Greece.” 

On a ferry headed to Brindisi, Italy, Guzmán and five others including Gehrer, played Scopa, an Italian card game that Gehrer had bought in Naples. There on a glass table, their cards scattered between all five of them, the ferry slowly drifting through the water, Guzmán was finally living his dream.