By: Kelly Martin, M.S., NCIDQ, IDEC, ASID, IIDA, CD, LEED AP

Every Sunday evening this winter, one of my favorite things to do was to curl up on the sofa with some hot tea and a cuddly blanket and watch “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” on CNN with my family. Each episode would feature Tucci, visiting a unique area of Italy, discussing history and how political and cultural influences made each region’s food unique and wonderful. He dined at high-end establishments and, by invitation, in the homes of local Italians, learning how they prepare their food and joining the enjoyment of a special meal with family and friends. With my husband at my side, we would watch the show in awe as Stanley Tucci would take the first bite of some delectable pizza or pasta dish from Naples, Milan, or Rome, surrounded by beautiful countryside and architecture. It was fun to reminisce about the “good ol’ days” when my husband and I could just get on a plane and go somewhere…anywhere…and how excited we will be when those days return.

In thinking about this newsletter arriving to you with spring in full bloom, I am reflecting upon the interior design profession and how much travel has meant to our community in the past. How many of us have embarked upon a journey somewhere and returned with a refreshed eye for design or had an experience abroad that became a source of renewed inspiration for our work? At Auburn University, where I teach, we have a permanent year-round campus in Ariccia, Italy, where our interior design students may choose to study abroad for a whole semester. They actually live in a historic palace and learn from Italian educators who are artists, chefs, and historians, embracing Italian culture and expanding their horizons. On weekends, the students go on excursions throughout Europe, hopping on a quick flight or train to the Amalfi Coast, Paris or Rome. The students always return to the U.S. with their eyes wide open and with a new appreciation for culture, food, art, and architecture. The beautiful things they have seen and the historic places they have been make a difference in their design work. Our college also offers trips to Fiji with a sustainability focus, Malaysia and Thailand, London, Peru, Nepal, and South Africa, many with a community engagement focus. No matter where the students study abroad, they always return with a broadened perspective and a greater appreciation for the world around them.