As the countdown to my departure to Siena draws nearer, I can only anticipate how incredible this fully immersive experience will boost my knowledge of Italian language and culture during those five weeks. Of course, the greatest difference compared to my Notre Dame Italian courses is that I will have the chance to practice my proficiency in the language all day, every day. Knowing few Italian majors, I had rarely had the chance to rehearse my skills in holding conversations. While in Siena, I know I’ll also be trying to interpret and absorb the many differences in cultural practices. Things like the expressive body language and dialectical variances have always been of great interest to me, and that’s surely something an Italian student can’t always get from lectures and textbooks.
I think this experience overall will be great for practicing my independence. As a youngest sibling and despite being from a large suburb, I have never been brave enough to branch out on my own. However, I hope to change that with this trip now that I’ll doing things mostly by myself. I’m very fortunate that I’ll always have someone like my host family in Siena to fall back on if I’m having trouble adjusting to this drastic change, but I am going to challenge myself as much as I can to embrace the immersion and individuality that this adventure abroad presents to me.
You’re very brave and we at Notre Dame are proud to have you representing us! I can’t wait to hear more about your travels, challenges, successes, and adjustments.