When Catherine was a Junior and John was a Sophomore at UConn, they both enrolled in Italian Composition & Conversation 1. In that class, the professor advertised a study abroad program that would take place that summer in Sorrento, Italy. Several students in that class decided to go on the trip, including Catherine and John. After a semester of Italian Comp & Conversation 2 in the Spring, John, Catherine, and their friends all took off to Sorrento for five weeks of incredible food, views, and Italian classes on the Amalfi Coast. Towards the end of the trip, Catherine and John both realized that there was something special going on between them. After that trip, Catherine and John visited each other all summer trading off between their hometowns, and the rest is history.