Pre-session Summer 2018
(May 16-May 30) 
Anybody who goes on a study abroad trip always talk about how it changed them as a person, or how they found themselves. As this trip comes to an end, I find myself asking the same question. What has changed within me? While we arrive in Poppi, I look around at the different lifestyle they have. A lifestyle that is unknown to me. In a small town, where it is so quiet that it almost felt like my suitcase wheels was making too much noise being dragged along then road. In a small town, where almost everyone knows each other. In a small town, where there is limited amount of modernization and technology. But, beyond all this is a breathtaking view looking over the tuscany country side from the castle and serenity that you might not find anywhere else. As I stand in the balcony overlooking the view that one can never get tired of, my senses are more in touch than ever because of the peace it provides. That burning smoke smell, distant bike ride engines running, green leafs dancing slowly with the wind, mountains hugging the clouds as if they are their own. Birds chirping. All I can think is how can you perfectly describe this feeling, this unknown feeling you can’t get back in The States. The breeze lightly touching my brown curls. Once you look, can’t take your eyes away from the beautiful view. I appreciate the moment of serenity I was having. I enjoyed it to the fullest. I would recommend anyone to make a trip to the town of Poppi. And, that is when I realized how I have changed or how moments like these have changed me as a person. Life seems so at peace right now and nothing else matters but as soon as I touchdown in Pittsburgh, life will be hectic again. Poppi has taught me that it is okay to run away from your hectic life for even an hour or a day or a week. It is okay to not care about all the social media messages your friends are sending. You aren’t ignoring them, its just that you need time to yourself. It is okay to take a day away from all the assignments to relax your mind and refresh it. If there is anything that am taking back home from this trip is that just find your peace. Take time to look at the nature, feel your senses, and everything else will fall right into its place.
...Category: Creative
Can I just first of all say I am living my dream right now? I have always wanted to come to Europe and I am glad Italy was the first country I came to because it made me realize how beautiful Europe can be. Even though we have been all over the place since we landed at the airport, I have purposely made time to sit down and just people watch since I love doing that anywhere I go. I have seen some bizarre things and people. I came on this trip with no friends so it was cool for me to be in a new country with new people. I have learned so much art and history here. To be honest, I didn’t really care too much about art history but coming here and learning about the renessaince has made me realize its importance. My favorite was going to see The David at Le Academia. It was the most mesmerizing marble statue I have ever seen and I was definitely not expecting that. I have also tried some of the best ice cream and gelato here. For those of you who love chocolate and ice cream, you might have heard of Magnum. Well guess what? There is a Magnum ice cream place right around the Duomo and it is absolutely heaven. You walk in and pay first. Later, they ask you to choose your toppings and then they dip your chocolate or vanilla ice cream bar into this bucket full of either milk, white, or dark chocolate. Here’s the catch though, when they dip it; it comes out frozen! So now you have this delicious crisp chocolate crust around your ice cream which gets topped with your chosen toppings. I recommend everyone to go there at least once before leaving Florence. It will always be the best €4,50 I have ever spent. Time in Florence is flying by. Even faster than Rome. I have made some great memories here from reenactment of Michealangelo’s statues to just talking with friends by the river to learning the history of this beautiful city. It is definitely on the list of places to visit again.
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Hello my fellow students! For this post, I want to discuss Dante now that I have gone through most of our trip to Italy. (I figure since I’m writing this in Bologna, this picture is appropriate) In my Dante class, one of our assignments was to write a creative piece about our experience in Italy and how it relates to Dante. I decided to write a poem since my creative bulb was not quite lit and it was the only thing I could think of. I have it posted below. Feel free to read it or not. Fair warning, it is cheesy and rhymey: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I descended into Italy like Dante into Hell I thought about what to to expect and thought it would be swell. Yet just like Dante I was filled with a little trepidation, Cause being without much world culture, I was facing my damnation. But I knew I had to journey on ignoring all my fears, Not going on this trip, I knew, I’d regret it all my years Because aside from fun and class I knew this trip would bring By going back to where I’m from, I’d hope to find something- Something greater than a treasure, I’d find myself like Dante For Italy is my dark woods, I want to come to me So first I stopped in Rome and saw the amazing Coliseum, Which filled me with the hope and wonder of a lost civilization. And then I found my grace with God as I went into His home And truly felt like I was there, sitting on his throne. I felt a special connection to God and Dante did as well So after I packed up my things, I descended further into Hell. The welcome was a cold and wet one as I stepped into this city The city of Firenze warmed me with Brunelleschi and Da Vinci And not a man, this David I saw, but something so much more. He was a symbol for inspiration, his shadow reflecting off the marble floor And so I sit here and reflect on the things that I have seen That I can’t seem to get enough, like the sinners of greed Yet it is with the unbaptized that I feel like I relate Cause being here has made me stop and think about my fate By seeing what the artists, with their simple times, what they can do Then what is stopping me from achieving greatness too? Going into this I did not know what quite to expect But now I realize, along with Dante, how intense this is, our trek Like Dante, i hope, I will find out my life’s true meaning Even if i lose myself, I know I’ll be found beaming Because my journey has already started and there is no turning back I will soon find out the meaning of my life in which I lack. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No matter where I go or what I see, there...
