A young Massachusetts woman disembarks in Naples, Italy, in April 1958. She is pursuing connections with relatives, her Italian heritage, and her love for travel, never imagining that her wanderlust one day will inspire thousands to follow in her footsteps.

That is exactly what happened to 24-year-old Joan, born and raised in the small mill town of Lawrence, MA. It had taken her 20 days to cross the Atlantic from New York Harbor to Naples on the MS Vulcania, an American Export Lines ocean liner that had served as a U.S. troop ship during World War II.