When writer Merrill John Gerber is invited to join her husband, a history professor, as he takes a class of American college students in Florence, Italy, she feels terrified at the idea of leaving her comforts, her friends, and her aged mother in California. Her husband tries to assure her that her fear of Italy - and her lack of knowledge of the Italian language - will be offset by the discoveries of travel. This is the tale of a woman who readily admits her fear of travel, a fear that many experience but are embarrassed to admit. When finally she plunges into the new adventure, she describes her experiences in Florence with wit, humour and energy.