I have already packed my bags, coordinated my arrival to my new home with my Airbnb hostess, and prepared all the paperwork I will need at the airport. Now I can get busy preparing the pleasant things like where I’ll have coffee in the morning, which trattoria I’ll be dining out at for the first time, where to get the best focaccia in town and what Italian tours I’ll be doing the first weekend there.
Of all the countries I have visited, Italy is one of my favorites, and perhaps the most loved. I’ve been there twice before, in the same city in the north of the country, in Piemonte, and both times I’ve made friends and learned a lot about myself. I can also say that I learned some Italian, even though I did not attend any school. The second time I was there, for example, was during part of the pandemic. It was so difficult to deal with the lockdown that I started physical training with a fitness professional, just to be able to be out of the house. Thanks to him, I improved my state of mind and learned all the vocabulary in Italian about the human body.
This time I look forward to meeting wonderful people during the summer and having a total immersion experience. Every day I will walk about half an hour to school, if the heat is not oppressive, and observe the streets and stores along the way. I will greet people and try to begin a conversation with them when possible. While I will avoid English speakers, I will definitely socialize with my fellow students and do activities with them.
I have so much to do there. It is very exciting to be able to learn Italian so I can also use it in my research. The tours I will be going on will be great opportunities to ask questions in Italian and learn more about my topic of study. I can’t think of a better way to advance my work.
I can’t wait to tell stories about my trip. I want to post pictures about the most beautiful places and the most curious things.
Juliana.