Ciao!
Well, as this is my first post, I suppose I should introduce myself to everyone reading this blog.

My name is Emily, and I am, as of getting all my grades back (which hasn’t happened to the point of my writing this) a lower junior in the Queens College class of 2012 (as well as the Macaulay Class of 2012 of course).  My major past time includes track and field, which would make sense, being that I’m on a division 2 track team here at Queens, for throwing things (discus and shot, I swear there some skill to it).  I’m a self-proclaimed history nerd, particularly in the way of ancient history, which would explain this study abroad that I’m going to be blogging about in a month.

Italy is a place I’ve wanted to go for as long as I can remember. Between family heritage and food, who wouldn’t!  When I was picking my study abroad, I really wanted to find an ancient history one in Italy, because I felt it would just be perfect!  Hunter College came through.

Less then a month from today, I will be flying out of Newark, (don’t worry, it baffles me as well why we’re not leaving from JFK), and will be headed to Rome, where I will spend a week.  I will then head to Sicily, followed by areas in southern Italy, back to Rome (with a quick stop in Ostia), and then back home at the end of July.  I honestly wish it was more then a month to experience all of this, but we can’t have it all I suppose.

The course is a classical studies course, Italy before the Romans, or, to make it simpler, Roman Civilization, studying the growth of Italian culture and events before, during, and after the Roman take over of the pennisula and eventually the entirty of the Mediterranean, which, in my opinion, makes for the perfect course (because who doesn’t love studying Roman religion or the assasination of Senator Gracchi… no seriously, that stuff is interesting!) .  The travel will make this interesting due to the different cultures that existed before hand, and the sites they left behind for the comtempory man or woman to see.  Siracusa (Syracuse), an old greek colony is an example of one of these sites that I can’t wait to see.  However, geeking out is not the sole purpose of my trip.  I want to explore outside of ancient things.

I think its going to be an interesting experience due to, if nothing else what-so-ever, the travel breaking up my daily routine (or my attempt at one), mainly my athletic one.  I will go from my regular discus thrower’s routine to something more like a runner’s, which I haven’t done since high school.  That itself I think will be amazing for me (as weird as that might sound to some).

Of course, that routine won’t be the only thing that’s changing.  I’m holding high expectations for the culinary experience — I’ve heard the food is amazing (especially gelato… I can’t wait for it)!  From people visiting family to people going on study abroad, to people just vacationing, its the one thing everyone seems to have in common.  It should be interesting, being that my family is italian-american, so I can finally see the differences in our cooking, which is really important to me.

Another comparison would be culture itself.  Its funny how people assume things about my family because we’re “italian.”  Stereotyping, not bad (until someone asked if I’m related to guidos) but stereotyping none-the-less (such as the fact that, as it evident by the previous paragraph, I like and value food a lot).  It should be interesting to see if the kinds of people my family has grown to be, and the kind of person I have grown to be, could truly survive in this kind of environment.  Being that I haven’t visited before, I really have no idea.

I must mention something that, while not taking place in Italy, will make following its events that much more amazing then following in the United States:  THE FIFA WORLD CUP IN SOUTH AFRICA!!!!!!  As a soccer fan, watching the world cup in a place where I’ve heard it shuts down to watch the event thrills me!  I think this country completely underrates the sport, so it’ll be nice to be in that kind of environment for the one sports I actually would sit down in front of a television and watch.

Well, I’m mentally thrown up everything I can really put into words at the moment.  I cannot wait to take this course (no matter how much I spoke about everything else), but I also cannot wait to explore the country itself(as much as I just said to ignore the fact that I spoke so much about everything else).  I’m just excited.  Excited to learn, to eat, watch soccer (maybe even watch the Azzuri take the cup!), to test my italian language skills (or lack there of), and just to have fun.  I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t be.

An end to this extremely long winded first post:  Enjoy your summers!  I think I’m going to enjoy mine!  Good luck with my fellow studying abroad friends!

Ciao! (Until next I post that is)

-Emily