As a Norwegian-American growing up in Minneapolis, Christine Foster inexplicably developed a passion for Italy. She earned degrees in Italian literature at Wells College and Middlebury's Italian Graduate School in Florence and a degree in pedagogy from the University of Rome. She is married to the Roman Andrea Meloni and has three fantastic children, Adriano, Marcello, and Nicoletta. She also has three delightful grandsons, Arthur, Paul, and Christian. She has a doctorate in international higher education and is currently a professor at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Her summer at Casa Materna remains a precious highlight of her life.