What unites people of all majors? Food.

Whether it’s growing, eating, making or looking at the effects of food, it can bring people together.

Abbe Ehlers, senior instructor of hospitality leadership, knows this firsthand.

She took 10 students to Florence and Siena, Italy to experience the cuisine and tourism of Tuscany.

Her students included hospitality leadership, geotourism and an agriculture student.

About the trip

For many of the students, this was their first trek to Europe.

“This was my first international trip,” said Wesley Fiester, a geotourism major. “Seeing how everyone lived their lives with passion was life-changing. You didn’t see people sitting on their phones. Instead, they were enjoying the moment with people.”

For a little over a week, students tasted local cuisine. Students were able to explore and learn about tourism of ancient cities. In addition, they learned about agri-tourism.

Students ate their way through the Tuscany region, but the trip was more than food. It was a time of self-discovery.

“The Italians had so much passion with everything they did and the area they lived in,” Fiester said. “Seeing how they lived taught me a lot about myself and how I want to live my life.”

Ehlers echoes this sentiment.

“Traveling is one of the best ways to learn about yourself,” Ehlers said. “The life lessons of self-reliance, patience and wonder are invaluable.”