Getting ready and getting started

I leave for Italy in 2 weeks. I thought it would be a good idea to start this blog to hopefully get at least semi-used to using it before I leave. I do not know how to describe how I feel right now about leaving because it hasn't really hit me yet that I am going to be in a different country, on a different continent, for almost 4 months. I get very excited when I start to think about everything that I want to do while I am there such as traveling, learning new things, and meeting new people. I am most excited for all of the traveling I plan to do while I am there. I want to go everywhere from England, to Greece, to Ireland and soak up as much as I can while I have the opportunity to do so. The classes that I am signed up for include: Italian Language, History through Cinema, Tuscania Sketchbook, Italian Cooking, and Wine and Culture. I am more than excited for each class, and it doesn't hurt that I have 3 day weekends and my classes only meet once a week! The town of Tuscania is located between Rome and Florence and only has a population of about 8,000 people and the university (Lorenzo de Medici) is an American university of about 15-25 students total. I think that the smaller class size will be comforting and will make the classes easier to focus on and will be able to make better relationships with the other students and professors in my classes. As much as I am excited to go, I also get very nervous and anxious when I think about it. What if I fail? What if I can't handle it? What if something horrible happens? What if I end up like Amanda Knox, or worse, her roommate?! I know some of this sounds a bit dramatic and ridiculous, but that is what goes through my head. I like to think that I will do great and I will absolutely love the time I spend in Italy, but those thoughts are always in my head. Regardless of how excited I am or how nervous I am, I am looking forward to seeing how I will react and how I will absorb what will be my new surroundings. I look forward to what lies ahead and coming home to tell all of my stories of my time in Italy. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to travel like this at my age and I plan to make the best of everything that will come my way.

Bring it on Italy.

...but first, I have to pack...that's a whole different adventure within itself.