In 163 days, I will be in Italy (roughly).
I will document every street walked, train taken, friend made, lesson learned and noodle eaten. My anticipation is growing every day. Unfortunately, my bank account is not, but I will make it there at pretty much any cost short of selling my soul. Although that can probably be negotiated. I’ve even put selling my car on the list of possible income before I leave.
Italy has captivated me since fifth grade when I participated in Destination ImagiNation, an after-school extracurricular that promotes creative problem solving. My team and I put on a skit about travelling through Italy and performed it to a song we wrote about the country. We proudly belted out our anthem:
Rome is the capital of Italy.
Florence has lots of art.
Venice has roads of water,
and this is where we start
bum bum bum
(I hope to one day find that gem of a VHS tape that holds the recording of our performance, so I can relearn the rest of the song.)
During the process of writing our one-hit single, we spent hours researching the country. My mom, our team coach, brought in slides of her trip through Europe 30 years ago. I sat transfixed, eyes locked on the screen as the projector whirred and clicked. Florence. Pisa. Rome. Venice.
Venice.
I was mesmerized. Was this not heaven?
Water for roads. Boats for cars. I bet the skies rain spaghetti.
When I found out Kent State University had a study abroad program for journalism students, my only question was “What semester shall I go?”
And now, come spring, I will move to Florence for four glorious months.
I am starting a blog now because I think this trip is about so much more than what happens there. It’s about how I grow and evolve. How can I document that if I don’t start now?
So here it is.
As a junior with 17 credit hours and two jobs, I am not promising to post often, but I will when I can.
Italy in less than six months, but I know my journey has already started.
I will document every street walked, train taken, friend made, lesson learned and noodle eaten. My anticipation is growing every day. Unfortunately, my bank account is not, but I will make it there at pretty much any cost short of selling my soul. Although that can probably be negotiated. I’ve even put selling my car on the list of possible income before I leave.
Italy has captivated me since fifth grade when I participated in Destination ImagiNation, an after-school extracurricular that promotes creative problem solving. My team and I put on a skit about travelling through Italy and performed it to a song we wrote about the country. We proudly belted out our anthem:
Rome is the capital of Italy.
Florence has lots of art.
Venice has roads of water,
and this is where we start
bum bum bum
(I hope to one day find that gem of a VHS tape that holds the recording of our performance, so I can relearn the rest of the song.)
During the process of writing our one-hit single, we spent hours researching the country. My mom, our team coach, brought in slides of her trip through Europe 30 years ago. I sat transfixed, eyes locked on the screen as the projector whirred and clicked. Florence. Pisa. Rome. Venice.
Venice.
I was mesmerized. Was this not heaven?
Water for roads. Boats for cars. I bet the skies rain spaghetti.
When I found out Kent State University had a study abroad program for journalism students, my only question was “What semester shall I go?”
And now, come spring, I will move to Florence for four glorious months.
I am starting a blog now because I think this trip is about so much more than what happens there. It’s about how I grow and evolve. How can I document that if I don’t start now?
So here it is.
As a junior with 17 credit hours and two jobs, I am not promising to post often, but I will when I can.
Italy in less than six months, but I know my journey has already started.
