June 17, 2015
NASHVILLE — As members of the women’s basketball team, redshirt junior Kristen Gaffney and senior Morgan Batey are accustomed to road trips. But the journey they went on this summer was a far cry from an overnight stay in Baton Rouge, La., or Starkville, Miss.
Participating in Vanderbilt’s Study Abroad program, Gaffney and Batey recently spent a month in Sicily, where they were introduced to a wide variety of new experiences, new food and new people.
“That was the first time that I’d ever been away for that long, especially in a different country,” said Batey, “and it was an amazing trip. Being there that long really allowed us to get immersed in the culture and we were able to get the full experience.”
l For a photo gallery from the trip, click HERE. Â
l For more on Vanderbilt’s Study Abroad program and service trips for athletes, click HERE. Â
During their stay, Batey and Gaffney toured the ancient ruins in Solunto, Agrigento, Erice and Segesta. They also visited Palermo, the capital of Sicily, and Corleone, among other places.
“The trip itself was one of the best experiences of my life,” said Gaffney. “I think the most amazing thing I took away from being in Europe was the lifestyle and how things operated in Sicily. The people were so proud of their products that they worked hard to make. And the town was so small that, by the second week, the people knew us.”
Batey said one of the most interesting elements of the trip was her ability to overcome the language barrier.
“I don’t speak Italian, but I learned that people can communicate pretty easily, even without words,” said Batey. “I mean, you find ways to communicate with gestures and body language and things like that. So that was really interesting. I also learned that there are certain things that will always bring people together — like food.”
Since returning to Nashville, Gaffney and Batey have started looking ahead to the 2015-16 season and have resumed basketball-related activities.
“While we were (on the trip), we developed one routine, and now we are kind of having to adjust back to our normal routine,” said Batey. “It’s kind of like changing cultures all over again.”