Autumn is in the air, or should we say winter is in the air? because in the last week the daily high has dropped from mid seventies to low fifties, and it's cold! the smell of chestnuts roasting on an open fire (kid you not, in every piazza) and gently decomposing fallen leaves fills the streets and the mornings are sunny bright and crisp. It is a completely different Padova!
Loyal blog-readers i've let you down its been at least a month since my last post and i'm terribly sorry. Life here has been so incredibly full and busy that in my free moments (which are not many) I'm sleeping! but here I am finally, on that brisk tuesday night, ready to fill you in (as best as possible) on the last month that has just flown by.
I've been traveling almost every weekend. the weekend of 19-21 september our Boston University class went to Firenze. It was a little too hectic and touristy for my blood! (is that an expression we say? having written it, it seems wrong--what can i say, my english is falling to pieces...) Anyway, In Firenze we had the privilege to be taken around by BU which means going to museums, getting 'free' admission, and not having to make a long que. We visited La Galleria dell'Accademia and saw Michelangelo's Davide, which I had seen once before with my parents at age 11 and so this time it made much more of an impression ! what a masterpiece, truly. Whilst we were inside admiring Davide, we hear what sounds like millions of hammers on metal. It resembled pouring rain but much stronger... So we finally go outside and it turns out that there had been a brief hail storm! which seemed so out of time and place because mind you it was around 70 degrees! what a kick, to see all the streets covered in white hail-stones on a late summer afternoon.
Our second stop included la Basilica di Santa Croce, which was my favorite stop in Firenze, a church / museum that has the tombs of some of the most famous artists, literary figures, and musicians in history that either worked or lived in Firenze, including Michelangelo and Galileo. the energy inside that basilica was indescribable, we spent at least 2 hours in silence just walking around and taking it all in. It is a must in Firenze and a little less touristy (still touristy).
Lastly we visited La galleria degli Uffizi which i have to say is one of the most beautiful museums of art i've seen in my life. They have breathtaking collections of Renaissance masterpieces, including i capolavori di Giotto, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Caravaggio, e Botticelli (there are so many others but not being an art-history savvy girl those are the only ones i can pull out of my hat). Gli Uffizi were mind-blowing.
We also visited Palazzo Vecchio, Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and a lot of other interesting things whose names i cant remember. it was an amazing weekend and aside from the hail storm we had wonderful weather. we stayed in a really lovely hostel where we met a lot of travelers from all over the place, it was quite a trip to sit in the little bar at our hostel and talk with guys from like 5 different countries, communicating in 50% english, 25% french, and 25% italian. the ability to communicate cross-culturally is magic. that feeling is what this experience is for and when the opportunity presents itself like it did at that hostel it feels literally like the best thing in the universe.
The next weekend i went back to Trani! Oh la Puglia you have my heart and soul. It was a mix of 'is this real' 'have three years really already passed' 'oh my god its so beautiful and i love all these people so much' 'wait, the food is exponentially better here' and 'i'm finally home again!'. it was bittersweet because i was only there for three days but knowing that my home and my family and friends are there and that I can return whenever the spirit moves me is such a magic feeling.
I was able for the first time to really hear the difference in pronunciation and the dialect differences of Puglia and Trani specifically after having lived in Padova in Veneto for a little over a month. Before, Italian was Italian, but my ear has adjusted to a certain level from which i can now detect regional differences both in colloquial speech and pronunciation in general. i guess i've begun to speak an italian a little more padovano!
The next weekend we did a day-trip to Venezia and did the Bacaro tour. I Bacari are little bars that are relatively inexpensive that offer little drinks (specifically small glasses of wine, prosecco, and spritz) along with little appetizers you can choose. much fun.
Then we had midterms so the following weekend was spent studying... or trying to study because the weather was so wonderful and La Fiera delle Parole was happening at Padova and I wanted to go out and listen to the authors, giornalists, and musicians that were speaking. It was really culturally enriching and quite a unique opportunity to go and see these people share their philosophies and inputs on life and on the literary/ cultural world.
Then we all went to Roma and it was amazing. I love that city! Granted it is touristy as well (like Firenze e Venezia) but it doesn't feel as suffocating. We toured the Colosseo, the Foro Romano, Pantheon, many churches, and i musei vaticani. The art collections that the vatican museums offer are so numerous and so beautiful that one could spend at least ten years exploring, analyzing, and appreciating from an artistic, cultural, and historical point of view. three hours was definitely insufficient.
Finally last weekend, I went to Firenze to visit Leda who now is studying Medicine at the University of Firenze. I hadn't seen her since I went to visit her in Canada in the spring of 2013 and so our sisterly reunion was greatly needed. She took me around Firenze with the perspective of someone who lives there and not as a tourist and I have to say that I liked the city much more. To actually hear italian in florence! It was just last weekend that the weather changed and we experienced quite a chilly night last saturday in the beautiful city of art.
Back in Padova now and academically things are really picking up, there is a lot on the Padova-study-abroad-student's plate at this point. Our courses at the BU academic center are going well and I'm learning phenomenal amounts of things... The literature class i'm following has presented me with works of prose that i probably would never have found to read in my life but am so grateful to have had read them because they have made me think and made me smile and made me ponder deeply what it means to be in the 'Italian Literature' canon and what it means to be an author in a language that is not your mother tongue. Of the authors we have read some of my favorites have been Carmine Abate, Helga Schneider, and Gezim Hajdari (who is a poet).
At the university of Padova i decided to study psychology. this was an undertaking to say the least! it is proving to be very challenging (principally because the course is conducted in italian, its a lecture with about 200 students, the subject matters aren't light easy and breezy, the terminology [vocabulary] is new to me, and the pace is extra-fast) but i'm managing and i'm finding it super interesting and stimulating.
I have become a volunteer for AFS Intercultura Centro Locale Padova! I realized that this would be an amazing opportunity to be a part of the community that was so fundamental to my first experience here in Italy and a way to meet like minded young people who have also studied in foreign places and thus have similar perspectives on the cruciality of becoming global as a generation. They are a lovely group here in Padova.
Currently feeling ridiculously grateful of my decision to remain in Padova for the entire year rather than for just a semester as i watch the semester wean to an end and realize just how short four months really are. A year really is needed for a language, at minimum. My italian is only so-so still, in terms of speaking... reading and understanding is more or less of second nature at this point and i catch myself on a regular basis eavesdropping on a conversation and giggling or thinking something ridiculous or making a harmless judgement on the people i'm overhearing only to realize afterwards that i was listening to a conversation in another language. it doesn't even seem like a foreign language anymore, it just seems like another language that at this point in my life has become a part of me and a part of my synapses.
may there be more to come. our brains ARE capable. language is, in my opinion, the best tool for existence, and it's all over this world and at our fingertips if we just reach out and try to grasp it with a little tug it will be in the palm of our hands and seeping into our essences becoming a part of us that can communicate with members of different cultures, different walks of life, different everything. it is what unites us as people.. just reach!
28 October, 2014
18 September, 2014
the flight of time
Today marks three weeks since arrival in Padova. Time is going by ridiculously fast it blows my mind. I think that time has just progressively been speeding up! Regardless, a lot of things are going on here, lots of fun is being had, and lots of learning is underway. Our whole Boston University group is going on a weekend trip to Firenze, departing tomorrow morning bright and early at 9am from the train station (which is about a 40/45 minute walk from where I live). We will be visiting several galleries and museums tomorrow and and saturday and we will be doing some off the beaten path explorations (necessity). Three of my friends and I will be staying two nights at a hostel and the other 6 will be staying at an Air B&B. It's exciting!
Last weekend we went to Verona for the day and we were blessed with the perfect temperature and the perfect amount of sunshine dancing down upon us. apart from going to see the casa di giulietta, (too crowed with tourists) we roamed around and stumbled upon some of the most beautiful bridges, buildings, churches, narrow streets, steep green hills rising up in the peripheries, and of course little cafes. It was amazing.
I've been doing a lot of socializing with italians. In the element! It is one of the most amazing sensations that I couldn't possibly do justice with my words. this language sometimes gives me shivers. My italian has improved quite a fair bit, predominantly my understanding (which i would say is at about 90%) and writing... We had to write a composition for our Italian class and the paper I ended up writing to my surprise came out very stylized-- metaphorical and poetic and very quite Tess.
On the academic front things are going well, learning so much every day that at the end of four hours of class in italian i'm exhausted! in a couple weeks we will begin our courses at the University of Padova, i'm hoping (so extremely) to take a french language, literature, translation and mediation course. At the BU academic center here i'm taking two courses with core focuses on emigration and immigration-- one is just that, in a historical mind frame, and the other is a migrant italian literature course that focuses on works of literature written by either immigrants who have spent a majority of their lives in Italy or those who were born here to parents who immigrated. These works of literature are so beautiful-- they offer us so much perspective both culturally and literarily. Immigration into Italy and the concept of "lo straniero," or the foreigner, is often a topic of discussion. It's really interesting to be studying a topic so currently culturally relevant that I hear people at the dinner table or in the bars talking about it almost every day.
There is really not too much more to add at this point, just that things are really wonderful here and i don't know if I'll ever be able to leave. The other american students are really wonderful. We have become a little clique-y which is better in my opinion because being in a big group of 11 americans is horrendous. (even though they are wonderful people). That being said though, we do all get along really well and when we do have to all do an activity together we have loads of fun.
I'm trying my best to show that not all americans eat fast food, not all americans are monolingual, not all americans are culturally ignorant, not all americans dress poorly, not all americans tote guns, etc, etc, etc, without dissing my country of origin. I have discovered though that the way to get the message across that not all americans are arrogant and to disprove the aforementioned stereotype it proves pretty helpful to not be ashamed to carry myself as an individual and to not associate myself in the conversation as 'american'; rather as a child of the earth.
Verona Arena
colors in the sky
happy people
the kittens are growing up!
good morning little princess <3
Last weekend we went to Verona for the day and we were blessed with the perfect temperature and the perfect amount of sunshine dancing down upon us. apart from going to see the casa di giulietta, (too crowed with tourists) we roamed around and stumbled upon some of the most beautiful bridges, buildings, churches, narrow streets, steep green hills rising up in the peripheries, and of course little cafes. It was amazing.
I've been doing a lot of socializing with italians. In the element! It is one of the most amazing sensations that I couldn't possibly do justice with my words. this language sometimes gives me shivers. My italian has improved quite a fair bit, predominantly my understanding (which i would say is at about 90%) and writing... We had to write a composition for our Italian class and the paper I ended up writing to my surprise came out very stylized-- metaphorical and poetic and very quite Tess.
On the academic front things are going well, learning so much every day that at the end of four hours of class in italian i'm exhausted! in a couple weeks we will begin our courses at the University of Padova, i'm hoping (so extremely) to take a french language, literature, translation and mediation course. At the BU academic center here i'm taking two courses with core focuses on emigration and immigration-- one is just that, in a historical mind frame, and the other is a migrant italian literature course that focuses on works of literature written by either immigrants who have spent a majority of their lives in Italy or those who were born here to parents who immigrated. These works of literature are so beautiful-- they offer us so much perspective both culturally and literarily. Immigration into Italy and the concept of "lo straniero," or the foreigner, is often a topic of discussion. It's really interesting to be studying a topic so currently culturally relevant that I hear people at the dinner table or in the bars talking about it almost every day.
There is really not too much more to add at this point, just that things are really wonderful here and i don't know if I'll ever be able to leave. The other american students are really wonderful. We have become a little clique-y which is better in my opinion because being in a big group of 11 americans is horrendous. (even though they are wonderful people). That being said though, we do all get along really well and when we do have to all do an activity together we have loads of fun.
I'm trying my best to show that not all americans eat fast food, not all americans are monolingual, not all americans are culturally ignorant, not all americans dress poorly, not all americans tote guns, etc, etc, etc, without dissing my country of origin. I have discovered though that the way to get the message across that not all americans are arrogant and to disprove the aforementioned stereotype it proves pretty helpful to not be ashamed to carry myself as an individual and to not associate myself in the conversation as 'american'; rather as a child of the earth.
xxx Baci xxx
Verona Arena colors in the skyhappy people the kittens are growing up! good morning little princess <3 06 September, 2014
New Flavors of Moment
So here I am, all you loyal blog-followers, sitting in my room in the Sacra Famiglia neighborhood in the ridiculously wonderful city of Padova, feeling a gentle bliss. The sun is shining radiantly and there isn't a cloud in the sky. The kittens are playing right outside my window and occasionally the little kids next door giggle and shriek in Italian as they play in the yard. Windows open (always) and the fresh end-of-summer-air drifts in and out of my room.
Literally so much has happened since arriving here a little over a week ago, it feels like it's been a month (in a good way) and the life has been ridiculously non-stop (also in a good way). Talk about new experiences, new faces, new places, new tastes, smells, temperatures, streets, piazzas, everything. It is all new and so so beautiful. I can't believe how much i've grown in just these last 10 or so days.
I would like to do a brief re-cap for you all, as daunting of a task that seems to me as my fingers click across my keyboard...
And so here we go: there are 11 american students here , myself included, 9 of which are from Boston University and two of which are from other schools (which I can't remember right now). We come from all different places across the states and we all have different stories. It's a little (miniature) american melting pot of 20-something-year-olds. At present we all are getting along, thank god, and we are enjoying immensely exploring this city and all the experiences it has to offer. All the locals say that this city is small, that there's not that much to do here, but I just want to say, in contrast, that this city is very big, and that there are SO many things to do. (especially considering that Trani is actually a small city).
On the topic of locals--I've made so many italian friends already its wonderful. I would say that i'm pretty blessed with my host family situation, principally regarding the attitude with which they run their house, but also because my host sister Marta is wonderfully social and accepting, she is opened minded and we get along very well--she has taken me out a few times and i've gotten to meet her friends. But, as I am focusing on a period of my life in which PROACTIVITY is essential, i've also made some wonderful friends on my own initiative. I think my abilities with the language have been essential, because i'm really able to communicate, socialize, and even touch on deeper social, cultural, and political topics in Italian. I can imagine that without my italian everything would be a little more difficult.
I am so very comfortable here. I haven't been this content or happy for a long time. Something inside of me is finally at peace and now all the person that I am is able to look at life and say " i'm so grateful to be here, this life is so beautiful, this person that I am is beautiful, this world is my pearl( i think they say that?) " etc...
Anyways, on to other topics, such as adventure: On my first friday here I went to Ferrara, which is a little city slightly south of Padova, like an hour-ish in car. To orient you, lets say Ferrara is near (just north) to Bologna. There was a festival going on called Bunkers Festival, in which street musicians come from all over to serenade the city-- on every street corner you stumble on a little cluster of people surrounding a solo-musician or a band, swaying or outright dancing to the multitude of genres from rock to jazz(the best) to some electronic mixing, to drums, etc. It was amazing! I went with Marta and some of her friends and for about 6 hours we talked non-stop in italian. Let me just tell you that this is a ridiculously beautiful experience, that words cannot describe, and that someone will only understand if they've had this experience on their own. Regardless of how insanely wonderful this experience is, (speaking for that long in a different language) , it's also very exhausting. and when i finally got into my bed at like 330 in the morning I was out for nearly twelve hours, basically losing my first saturday in Padova (I'm not too worried though, there are so many more to come!)
Next topic is academics, because from monday the first to thursday the fourth i had my first four days of classes at the Boston University academic center at Galleria Santa Lucia near Piazza Garibaldi in the center of Padova. the first and foremost detail of this academic center is the fact that it is staffed by the most wonderful, interesting, insanely intelligent, thoughtful, and passionate people. My professors are amazing-- and considering that the average class has about 5 students (seeing as how we are only in 11) the learning environment is very intimate and enriching. everything is taught in italian. It's going to be demanding, but doable. I would say that I'm definitely not feeling stressed or overwhelmed for the academics, but we've only had one week of classes so there's really no saying yet! My classes include: Advanced Italian Practicum with Claudia Baldelli, Migrant Italian Literature with Laura Lenci, and Immigration and Emigration in Italy with Gadi (I can't remember his last name!). They are all wonderful and intellectually stimulating, especially the literature course because it's a relatively new field of study and very dynamic and thought-provoking. the academic director Elisabetta Convento is completely lovely and so helpful, as is Bonnie Ponthier, the student affairs coordinator. I also love Mara who basically dealt with all the legal documentation and visa paperwork for us and is entirely sweet and personable and a joy to see. I basically love all the faculty and staff at this mini-university.
I will also be taking a course at l'Universita' degli studi di Padova, which will begin in the beginning of october--hopefully ill be taking a french class.
Yesterday five of us took a day trip to Venezia and we were blessed with a beautiful clear day there, with sunshine, gentle breezes, and not to stifling of a heat. we drank wine in the piazze, ate pizza in Piazza San Marco (which was ridiculously over-priced but delicious) and walked probably a total of 4 miles exploring the narrow alleys and streets, walking along canals, admiring the architecture, and chatting amongst ourselves. I asked for directions about 50 times no joke--for a directionally gifted person like myself, Venezia was like a maze. We had an amazing time. It's so easy to travel!
I'll add a few photos, but other than that, I think i've covered most of the main big details. So welcome to my Padovian life! I hope to keep you posted from time to time when life allows :)
Uno Spritz in Piazza dei Signori
Buskers Festival far out Jazz
the view from my classroom window!
Piazza dei Signori
Cappuccino and croissant 1,50 Euro!
In Venezia
Mama cat nursing her kittens in the kitchen <3
Literally so much has happened since arriving here a little over a week ago, it feels like it's been a month (in a good way) and the life has been ridiculously non-stop (also in a good way). Talk about new experiences, new faces, new places, new tastes, smells, temperatures, streets, piazzas, everything. It is all new and so so beautiful. I can't believe how much i've grown in just these last 10 or so days.
I would like to do a brief re-cap for you all, as daunting of a task that seems to me as my fingers click across my keyboard...
And so here we go: there are 11 american students here , myself included, 9 of which are from Boston University and two of which are from other schools (which I can't remember right now). We come from all different places across the states and we all have different stories. It's a little (miniature) american melting pot of 20-something-year-olds. At present we all are getting along, thank god, and we are enjoying immensely exploring this city and all the experiences it has to offer. All the locals say that this city is small, that there's not that much to do here, but I just want to say, in contrast, that this city is very big, and that there are SO many things to do. (especially considering that Trani is actually a small city).
On the topic of locals--I've made so many italian friends already its wonderful. I would say that i'm pretty blessed with my host family situation, principally regarding the attitude with which they run their house, but also because my host sister Marta is wonderfully social and accepting, she is opened minded and we get along very well--she has taken me out a few times and i've gotten to meet her friends. But, as I am focusing on a period of my life in which PROACTIVITY is essential, i've also made some wonderful friends on my own initiative. I think my abilities with the language have been essential, because i'm really able to communicate, socialize, and even touch on deeper social, cultural, and political topics in Italian. I can imagine that without my italian everything would be a little more difficult.
I am so very comfortable here. I haven't been this content or happy for a long time. Something inside of me is finally at peace and now all the person that I am is able to look at life and say " i'm so grateful to be here, this life is so beautiful, this person that I am is beautiful, this world is my pearl( i think they say that?) " etc...
Anyways, on to other topics, such as adventure: On my first friday here I went to Ferrara, which is a little city slightly south of Padova, like an hour-ish in car. To orient you, lets say Ferrara is near (just north) to Bologna. There was a festival going on called Bunkers Festival, in which street musicians come from all over to serenade the city-- on every street corner you stumble on a little cluster of people surrounding a solo-musician or a band, swaying or outright dancing to the multitude of genres from rock to jazz(the best) to some electronic mixing, to drums, etc. It was amazing! I went with Marta and some of her friends and for about 6 hours we talked non-stop in italian. Let me just tell you that this is a ridiculously beautiful experience, that words cannot describe, and that someone will only understand if they've had this experience on their own. Regardless of how insanely wonderful this experience is, (speaking for that long in a different language) , it's also very exhausting. and when i finally got into my bed at like 330 in the morning I was out for nearly twelve hours, basically losing my first saturday in Padova (I'm not too worried though, there are so many more to come!)
Next topic is academics, because from monday the first to thursday the fourth i had my first four days of classes at the Boston University academic center at Galleria Santa Lucia near Piazza Garibaldi in the center of Padova. the first and foremost detail of this academic center is the fact that it is staffed by the most wonderful, interesting, insanely intelligent, thoughtful, and passionate people. My professors are amazing-- and considering that the average class has about 5 students (seeing as how we are only in 11) the learning environment is very intimate and enriching. everything is taught in italian. It's going to be demanding, but doable. I would say that I'm definitely not feeling stressed or overwhelmed for the academics, but we've only had one week of classes so there's really no saying yet! My classes include: Advanced Italian Practicum with Claudia Baldelli, Migrant Italian Literature with Laura Lenci, and Immigration and Emigration in Italy with Gadi (I can't remember his last name!). They are all wonderful and intellectually stimulating, especially the literature course because it's a relatively new field of study and very dynamic and thought-provoking. the academic director Elisabetta Convento is completely lovely and so helpful, as is Bonnie Ponthier, the student affairs coordinator. I also love Mara who basically dealt with all the legal documentation and visa paperwork for us and is entirely sweet and personable and a joy to see. I basically love all the faculty and staff at this mini-university.
I will also be taking a course at l'Universita' degli studi di Padova, which will begin in the beginning of october--hopefully ill be taking a french class.
Yesterday five of us took a day trip to Venezia and we were blessed with a beautiful clear day there, with sunshine, gentle breezes, and not to stifling of a heat. we drank wine in the piazze, ate pizza in Piazza San Marco (which was ridiculously over-priced but delicious) and walked probably a total of 4 miles exploring the narrow alleys and streets, walking along canals, admiring the architecture, and chatting amongst ourselves. I asked for directions about 50 times no joke--for a directionally gifted person like myself, Venezia was like a maze. We had an amazing time. It's so easy to travel!
I'll add a few photos, but other than that, I think i've covered most of the main big details. So welcome to my Padovian life! I hope to keep you posted from time to time when life allows :)
Uno Spritz in Piazza dei SignoriBuskers Festival far out Jazz the view from my classroom window!Piazza dei SignoriCappuccino and croissant 1,50 Euro! In VeneziaMama cat nursing her kittens in the kitchen <318 August, 2014
Here We Go Again-- Next Stop: Padova
So as you all could have probably imagined, my previous experience in Trani affected my life so much that i'm at it again, only this time through my college (yes, i'm actually in school at Boston University) and this time living in Veneto, instead of Puglia. I will study in Padova, a beautiful ancient city about 20 miles inland from Venezia in the north of Italy on the Adriatic Sea coast.
Boston University offers so many foreign exchange programs, and lucky for me (and all the other Italo-language/life-obsessed university students) one of them happens to be the Italian Studies Program centered in Padova. I am about to embark on a year-abroad. Starting next monday, the 25th, I'll be on my way. This is an academic program so i'll be enrolled in 4 courses per semester (of which there are two), for a total of 32 credits at the end of this coming academic year. Boston University has an academic center in Padova, staffed by italian professors and coordinators, where students take either all or most of their classes. For those of us who are slightly more competent in the Italian Language, the option of enrolling in a class or two per semester at l'Universita degli studi di Padova arises. these classes are pretty difficult, or so i've heard, and will require serious dedication. And so, Im planning to take one course there in the fall and, depending on how it goes, two in the spring. I've declared a major at BU, Italian Studies, and so mostly all of the courses that i'll take abroad will apply towards my degree.
Again I will live with a host family, who i will discuss in great detail after we meet--later next week! I just can't believe its all happening so soon! (sneak peak though, they have two kitties and two dogs, all girls!)
Im ridiculously excited to embark on this adventure, to see how it is different now that i'm a little older and more matured in many ways, to see how different things have an impact on me than the things that impacted me before. My main focus this time is language: i've become obsessed with the human potential for language learning. i started dappling in french this year and i love it--there is no better feeling (in my opinion) than speaking other languages. my aspiration is to learn and master as many as possible, because i believe that in order to appreciate another culture the most important crucial skill is that of communication. I believe in my heart that it shows so much respect and a certain worldly value to learn a language other than one's mother tongue. Another focus is travel--this program is much less strict than AFS intercultura was, especially in regards to rules on travel. Im planning to travel as much as seems reasonable.
Fortunately this go-around, the wonderful BU study abroad office dealt with all the visa shenanigans and so the stress of going down to the consulate and applying for a study visa was almost enitrely removed from the equation. The program manager at BU study abroad, Mary Ogburn is really amazing and all the staff are very helpful and supportive.
All there is left to do is pack , organize and say goodbye to all the people and things in my life here in San Luis Obispo, CA, and get on that evening flight out of our little small-scale airport. it seems unreal, and i have a feeling i should be stressed and nervous--but thank god, i'm not in the slightest. I'm eager, proud, and longing for experience, for the cultural overwhelm, and to be in a historically rich, magnificent city where I get to finally hear italian everywhere i go again.
I thought it would be interesting to keep this blog going, and there's a good chance i will keep it going for quite a while, as my twirls around the world are far from waining. If it works out, I'm planning to write about once or twice a month whenever time allows.
Here's hoping that my journeys can serve as inspiration for all those aspiring travelers out there, or can give the final push to just do it. I wanted to give a huge plug for AFS Intercultural programs though, because without them and without my highschool study abroad experience, I don't know if i would have found this passion of mine.
May this passion within me awaken or stir the passion within you-- journey on.
Boston University offers so many foreign exchange programs, and lucky for me (and all the other Italo-language/life-obsessed university students) one of them happens to be the Italian Studies Program centered in Padova. I am about to embark on a year-abroad. Starting next monday, the 25th, I'll be on my way. This is an academic program so i'll be enrolled in 4 courses per semester (of which there are two), for a total of 32 credits at the end of this coming academic year. Boston University has an academic center in Padova, staffed by italian professors and coordinators, where students take either all or most of their classes. For those of us who are slightly more competent in the Italian Language, the option of enrolling in a class or two per semester at l'Universita degli studi di Padova arises. these classes are pretty difficult, or so i've heard, and will require serious dedication. And so, Im planning to take one course there in the fall and, depending on how it goes, two in the spring. I've declared a major at BU, Italian Studies, and so mostly all of the courses that i'll take abroad will apply towards my degree.
Again I will live with a host family, who i will discuss in great detail after we meet--later next week! I just can't believe its all happening so soon! (sneak peak though, they have two kitties and two dogs, all girls!)
Im ridiculously excited to embark on this adventure, to see how it is different now that i'm a little older and more matured in many ways, to see how different things have an impact on me than the things that impacted me before. My main focus this time is language: i've become obsessed with the human potential for language learning. i started dappling in french this year and i love it--there is no better feeling (in my opinion) than speaking other languages. my aspiration is to learn and master as many as possible, because i believe that in order to appreciate another culture the most important crucial skill is that of communication. I believe in my heart that it shows so much respect and a certain worldly value to learn a language other than one's mother tongue. Another focus is travel--this program is much less strict than AFS intercultura was, especially in regards to rules on travel. Im planning to travel as much as seems reasonable.
Fortunately this go-around, the wonderful BU study abroad office dealt with all the visa shenanigans and so the stress of going down to the consulate and applying for a study visa was almost enitrely removed from the equation. The program manager at BU study abroad, Mary Ogburn is really amazing and all the staff are very helpful and supportive.
All there is left to do is pack , organize and say goodbye to all the people and things in my life here in San Luis Obispo, CA, and get on that evening flight out of our little small-scale airport. it seems unreal, and i have a feeling i should be stressed and nervous--but thank god, i'm not in the slightest. I'm eager, proud, and longing for experience, for the cultural overwhelm, and to be in a historically rich, magnificent city where I get to finally hear italian everywhere i go again.
I thought it would be interesting to keep this blog going, and there's a good chance i will keep it going for quite a while, as my twirls around the world are far from waining. If it works out, I'm planning to write about once or twice a month whenever time allows.
Here's hoping that my journeys can serve as inspiration for all those aspiring travelers out there, or can give the final push to just do it. I wanted to give a huge plug for AFS Intercultural programs though, because without them and without my highschool study abroad experience, I don't know if i would have found this passion of mine.
May this passion within me awaken or stir the passion within you-- journey on.
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