To whom it may concern,
Today is my final day in Raleigh, NC. In just a few hours, my mom and I will depart on our 12:30 PM flight to JFK airport, then a short layer before our flight to Rome, Italy!
I could not be more excited for this trip! I have been genuinely counting down the days for months now. Currently, I am really looking forward to food tastings and shopping! I am excited to try the pasta, gelato, pizza as well! Additionally, I am interested in seeing how their fashion and retail practices differ from ours here in the US. I feel like once I arrive and start seeing the landmarks, those will quickly become the things that I look forward to seeing again one day!
I have done a decent amount of research about Italian norms and practices online, so although I am well aware I will be perceived as a a tourist, I hope to at least seem like an informed tourist! I’m also hoping to possibly get some use out of the Italian that I’ve been practicing. Athough it’s just been through Duolingo, my background knowledge from four years of Spanish classes is definitely helping me feel more prepared. Some of the words are slightly diferent but the grammar and conjugatons seem similiar. Hopefully this will help me out when I get to Italy!
I am hoping that the locals will have a good perception of the group I am going with. We ended up with a group entirely made up of girls and all of them seem kind and excited for our adventures. Although we haven’t had a lot of time to bond as a group, I am really hoping that we all click pretty fast once the trip begins. My goal is to go back to Tuscaloosa in the Fall feeling like I have expanded my circle of friends.
I think that being prepared and coming in with an open mind is going to help me maximize my experience on this trip. Additionally, making sure I eat, drink water, and sleep enough on this trip is going to greatly affect my experience, so I also plan to prioritice those things. Other than that, l don’t nave any major concerns for the trip. I am really excited that I have to opportunity to go over a few days early with my mom. I think having someone on the long flight as well as being able to see Florence and Rome before starting class is going to benefit me greatly.
In addition to blogging, I am planning to physically journal just about every day I am abroad. Having a journal of handwritten memories is going to be the best souvenir I could possibly take from Italy.
Ciao for now!
Jenna