The obligatory pre-departure entry

Just one day stands between me and my semester in Italy.

Since at least mid-high school, I've known I wanted to study abroad for a semester in Italy during college. It was just like deciding to be a journalism major-- once I came up with the idea, it just kind of stuck, and I never second-guessed it. But it's always seemed like something super-far away, like graduating from college (which now isn't too far away itself-- ahhhh), something that would happen eventually but not anytime soon. Except somehow "not anytime soon" is right now.

Fall semester flew by so unbelievably fast, and the whole time I was going through all the preparations for studying abroad-- getting my visa paperwork together (not fun), filling out housing forms and course request forms, getting signatures from a billion different departments on campus, finding someone to sublease my apartment-- but it never truly hit me that I was REALLY going to Italy for four months. I was always waiting for that moment when it would smack me in the face, and I'd suddenly freak out. I'd say the reality of it came to me in gradual increments, but it was only after I'd finished my last final that I was able to let out that sigh of relief and soak up the fact that I was really, truly going to Italy next semester.

But now, as I lie on my bed in Pennsylvania on my second to last night in the U.S., and look out at my two overstuffed suitcases, I've hit a new level of realization. And I literally feel like I'm about to jump off a cliff and have no idea what I'm about to fall into. Or maybe that's a bad analogy, because jumping off a cliff has a negative connotation. Basically, I have no idea what to expect of these next four months, other than what I've heard from people who have studied abroad themselves. Everyone says it's one of the most unforgettable, amazing experiences of your life. And I'm sure (well I hope!) that's how I'll feel after it's all over-- I'll probably look back to right now and wish I could be at the start again. But for now, I have this crazy combination of butterflies in my stomach, like I'm about to go on stage for some huge performance, and I'm just ready to be up there already! But at the same time I'm super nervous.

I'm leaving behind literally EVERYTHING and EVERYONE familiar. I know zero people going on my program. And that's part of why I chose to do this program...I wanted to go without knowing anyone, to do my own thing and branch out and experience new things, meet new people. I know I wouldn't want it any other way. But that definitely makes it all the more nerve-wracking for me right now! Once I step on that plane headed for Rome, it's just me and my suitcases on our way to this place called Perugia. A place I've never been before. Here's a photo, just to give you an idea of what the place is like:



Why did I choose Perugia? Well, I first heard about it from my sister Melissa, who traveled there during her high school trip to Europe. I'd always remembered it in the back of my mind as this random place that she'd told me was "magical," this adorable medieval town in the middle of Italy that was really popular with study abroad students. But having gone to Italy for about a week in high school myself, I'd fallen in love with Florence and was set on going there. I even had the exact program I wanted to go on figured out before I started college (I'm pretty big on planning things out in advance, if you couldn't tell already! It's a good and a bad thing)...but I decided to keep an open mind last year and research some alternative destinations, just to see if Florence wasn't the end all be all of study abroad destinations for me. And that's when I stumbled upon The Umbra Institute in Perugia and fell in love with the idea of Perugia. I was torn between Florence and Perugia for a while, but after hearing from several sources that Florence was tourist central, and I'd get the more authentic experience in Perugia, I made up my mind. After all, I am an Italian minor, and I really am looking to immerse myself in the culture. I can be around Americans and English-speakers at home-- no reason to limit myself to that while I'm in Italy. Plus, if I can improve my Italian, that's always nice. And I'll only be a few hours from Florence anyway, so I'll still be there at least a few times during the semester I'm sure.

Perugia has about 150,000 residents, if I remember correctly, about 40,000 who are students. So it's basically the quintessential Italian college town. In the photo I posted above, you're looking at an image of Piazza IV Novembre, where supposedly all the students gather at night to socialize. I've heard the city really has an energy created by the young people who live there. And I have to say, I'm pretty excited to experience a college town other than College Park. I have a feeling it'll be a nice change compared to what I'm used to.

So here's the plan: I leave for Perugia at 6:10 p.m. on January 7th, and after a transfer through Frankfurt, I'll arrive in Rome at 12:40 p.m. Italy time on the 8th. Then a bus will transport me the couple hours it takes to get to Perugia, and I'll spend my first night in Perugia at Hotel Gio with all the other Umbra students. The next day, my three roommates and I will move into our apartment. I know the apartment will be located in the center of the city somewhere, but other than that I don't have much of an idea what to expect. This Youtube video gives me an idea, but my apartment will most likely have two bedrooms and two baths, and it may or may not have a spectacular view. Most likely there won't be Internet access in the apartment-- I'll have to go to an Internet cafe or the Umbra library to go online. I know Italy has strict regulations about how long the heat can be on and "quiet hours," and I know we won't have a dryer, so we'll be hang drying clothes. Apparently using more than one electric appliance at once doesn't work too well, so that'll also be an adjustment. But if I'm going to Italy, I have to live life at least somewhat like the Italians, so that's part of the deal.

Well, this first entry turned out longer than I planned! I can only imagine how long these entries will be once I'm actually in Italy and have *real* things to write about! Then again, I have a feeling I won't have tons of time on my hands to write long entries like this, so who knows. But I promise I'll be updating this routinely, so expect photos and details of my first few days in Perugia within the next week. And cross your fingers that this never-ending rain in the forecast stops!