Julie is back from her two-week trip to Italy (with a quick stop in Copenhagen!) and brings stories that weave together travel, literature, and layered learning. From visiting her aunt on the Mediterranean coast to finally stepping inside Florence’s Santa Croce—20 years after promising herself she would—Julie shares how books like A Room with a View transform sightseeing into soul-deep experiences.

She and Melissa explore how these kinds of connections—between story, place, and lived experience—are the essence of meaningful education. You’ll also hear about unexploded WWII bombs in a train station, the Leaning Tower of Pisa’s surprising wonder, naked bungee-jumping in Denmark, and a serendipitous plane conversation that led to the discovery of a century-old “living book.”

This episode is a reminder to travel, talk to strangers, and create opportunities for our kids (and ourselves) to encounter the world twice: once through story, and once in real life.

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Produced by NOVA

307. Italy, Literature, and Learning Connections