Last summer a wonderful opportunity came into my life. I had the wonderful fortune to travel to Italy and stay in Sicily for one month. This luck came to me through a classroom project I developed with another high school in Northern Italy in the city of Cesena. One of the teachers who worked with me on this project was from a small city in Sicily named Agira. The teacher was Gioachino and he taught me Italian words, music, and introduced to me to his close friends in Agira. Soon I got to know his friends and a wonderful friendship flourished. We all would meet online and talk, share and play jokes on each other. These friends of Gioachino, soon became my friends. My life has never been the same since I met Gioachino.

He and his good friend Orazio (a teacher living in Agira) talked one day to me about coming to Italy for a vacation. My Italian friends were always inviting me to come to Italy, but as a teacher could not foresee me affording a trip to Italy. As we talked Orazio suggested to me that he and I exchange homes for the summer. He had always wanted to see America and he and his family would come to my home and I would stay in there home! We soon made plans I decided it was too good of an opportunity to let slip past me. So I went to Italy.

I flew alone to Rome and from there caught an Alitalia flight (arranged by Orazio) to Cantania, Sicily. There my online friend picked me up at the airport and my love of Sicily was born. It was a vast difference from where I lived in the Southeast of America. It was in June and the season was dry, mostly brown vegetation and small trees. I was amazed and studied the landscape with a keen interest comparing it with the western half of the United States.

We drove up to the edge of the city and I saw Agira. It was so different than what I expected; it was fascinating to me. Tiny winding streets that seemed to go straight up the mountain. I was astounded how close the people lived together and thought they must hate being so close. Then we drove around sharp corners, small streets and old churches with people standing around gazing into Orazio/s car to see the woman with red hair riding with him. We finally reached the edge of the summit and came into a panaoramic view of Sicily from Agira/s perspective. It was stunning! Air escaped my lungs as I exclaimed a loud, *WOW!* looking down the valley.

Orazio, his lovely wife, and two beautiful daughters lived at the highest residence on the mountain. The vista was absolutely breathtaking. In front of their home was the valley looking and to the right of their home was Mt. Etna and it was enormous. I could see the large active volcano sitting as if ordered by an artist for the perfect location in front of a lake with a valley draped around it to provide a frame.

Gonna end here...got to go now...if you want to read more, let me know. Later I will load the view I am describing...it is stunning. Really...I mean this. I took lots of photos! hehe...ciao