Episode #9-1986 European Sabbatical Part 2The quest to live in the heart of the Renaissance with a 
teaching Family of 5  Scroll down for Show Notes & Links

Episode #9 - Tony interviews a longtime Social Studies teacher (his Father) and his quest to take a family of five to live in Florence, Italy in 1986.  Topics include:  Being neighbors in Florence, Italy, overdosing on art and museums. being a parent and sending Tony to a local school, downshifting in life, readjusting to the USA, reflections on the trip, advice for others that are interested in taking their families on a sabbatical for a year, and the idea of a “mini sabbatical.” If you really like the episode, you might want to check out the patreon version, which gives you both episodes #8-9 combined together in a less edited episode and available a few weeks before the public release.

Episode #9 Show Notes and Links 

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If you really like the episode, you might want to check out the patreon version, which gives you both episodes #8-9 combined together in a less edited episode and available a few weeks before the public release.

00:00 Intro

02:50 Introduction of guest - My Dad

4:55 Motivation and reasons for the 1986 sabbatical

6:21 How the school offered a sabbatical

7:20 Others who had taken the sabbatical before him 

8:35 The uniqueness of the high school my Dad worked at

9:56 Life in general

12:20 Johnny Morris

13:27 The Family Dynamic

  • Volkswagen Vanagon Pictures and videos in file below
Download FilePNG • 179KB

14:29 It was not easy and planning

15:20 Contextualization of being a kid in the1980s and long term effects of Tony becoming a History teacher

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17:30 The Third Leg of the trip - Being Neighbors in the Birthplace of the Renaissance - Florence, Italy

21:36 Overdosing on art and museums in Florence

23:36 Tony’s experience in an Italian school and how learning a new language helped him as an English as  second Language Teacher

29:30 The regular Chicago “Bob” who became a painter in the hills of Tuscany - “My life is a sabbatical.”

32:43 Reflections on art/museums/architecture of Florence

36:49 Living abroad - How interacting with local culture has changed overtime

39:32 The Mosaic workshop of Florence

42:55 Walking and Jogging in the hills of Florence

44:05 Returning to Italy

45:30 Homeschooling his kids 

46:59 - Conclusion and big learnings from the trip

  • Rick Steves quote from Europe 101 (1986)
    • “As the world hurdles toward 100 billion McDonald's hamburgers served, Europe is looking more and more American.  Fast food, American rock and roll, English phrases, international corporate media blitzes, and Hollywood are shaping the culture of the young.  It seems that when all the wrinkled old ladies in black die, they will be replaced by a Europe of Coca Cola, skyscrapers, Walkmans, computers, and top 40 tunes. The most encouraging aspect of the future is that as the world grows smaller, more people will travel and rub shoulders.  Hopefully as this happens, we will begin to see the globe as the home of five billion equally precious people and we'll all feel a little less American.  British, Japanese, Italian or French, and a little more like a brotherhood of mankind.  This grassroots understanding of the very human world may help undercut the tendencies of governments to fuel tensions that, the incredible powers of destruction, make this frightening time to live.”
  • Updated version of Rick Steves Europe 101
  • Another quote that my Dad attributes to Rick Steves:
    • “A better understanding of mankind on a global level is the ultimate souvenir of travel.”

49:14 Readjustment to USA

  • Megan and Kristin travels

50:37 Reactions from neighbors in Chicago

  • PATREON ONLY Version of podcast - Thoughts on applying for another sabbatical

53:04 The ability to “play” with ideas without the bells ringing every 42 minutes and exploring through his own Renaissance

55:09 Advice for someone that wants to do a sabbatical with their family

57:14 Using summer vacation as a mini sabbatical

  • PATREON ONLY Version of podcast - Recommended movies, books, and podcasts

59:19 Downshifting and simplifying life

01:00:30 Outro

If you really like the episode, you might want to check out the patreon version, which gives you both episodes #8-9 combined together in a less edited episode and available a few weeks before the public release.