It is with bittersweet emotions that I say goodbye to the Sant’Anna Institute in Sorrento. Today was my final day of class (well technically yesterday was, but Nick and I were supposed to give a presentation to teachers from the United States today and they bailed on us last minute to visit Capri so we just talked to our literature teacher, Domenico, for an hour) and I am both relieved and sad to be finished. The classes here were truly an amazing experience, and I learned so much from both of my teachers. Nick and I both established a strong connection with Domenico during this past month, and I definitely hope to stay in contact with him throughout my Italian journey.
Domenico really inspired a new love of literature in me, helping me see the reasons for reading the works of past authors in a new light. His class, although brief, was probably one of my favorite Italian classes ever. He gave us his recommendation for a list of five books (Italian of course) to continue our studies, so I am certainly going to keep him updated with my progress. It might take me a while to get through all of them, but I think it will all be worth it in the end.
Now that classes are over, Nick and I have three days of freedom in Sorrento before we return home to the USA. Honestly, I’m not sure what we’re going to do. While both of us have definitely enjoyed our time in Sorrento, I think we’re both ready to head home. As much as I love coming to Italia, the numerous inefficiencies, technological lag, and subtle backwardness of this country eventually take their toll. We have done just about everything Sorrento has to offer, including boat trips to Positano and Capri this past weekend (Positano is the picture on the left, Capri is on the right).
While both towns were aesthetically gorgeous, we found that they were a little too touristy for our liking. It was great to stay for a day, but any more than that and we probably would’ve gone crazy. Renting the boat was a lot of fun though–despite the sunburns we all received. I’ve found that the views of these Italian coastal towns are always better from the water, take the following picture of Positano for example:
See… gorgeous.
Well, it seems like the next three days are just going to be tanning, swimming, and eating with Nonna (I could definitely think of a few things worse than that). I’ve had such an amazing time here in Sorrento, and I’m definitely going to miss all the awesome people that I’ve met. With about half of them living in New Jersey, I’m sure I’ll be staying in contact with a lot of them. The people I’m going to miss most, however, are Nonna and her daughter (Momma). They’ve treated Nick and I with the utmost hospitality, and have done everything in their power to make us feel at home and part of the family. I can honestly say that they have succeeded on all fronts. When Momma drops us off at the airport in a few days, it’s going to be a tough goodbye.
Well, it’s now almost time to say goodbye to Sorrento, and my next (and final) post won’t be until I’m back on American soil. So, until next time Italia, arrivederci!
