Hello from Italy! I have spent the last ten days touring the Amalfi Coast and exploring Amsterdam with my mom and sister getting the lay of the land. I am so grateful we decided to come here early so that I could feel settled before school started. We spent four days in Amsterdam and six in The Amalfi Coast. Going to Amsterdam last week was the first time I have ever been in a European country, and it made the transition a lot easier coming into an unfamiliar place. Honestly, Positano was beautiful, but it was kind of a letdown due to the time of year. Almost every restaurant and grocery store was closed so just finding food was a struggle. If I were to recommend anything, I would suggest going abroad a few days before your program starts, to explore a new place you won’t be studying in, that way you can familiarize yourself with the European lifestyle before starting school. Not only that but coming to the actual city you’ll be abroad in is also very helpful. Most of my roommates and friends I have met so far came into Sorrento a day before classes started and have been exhausted from the lack of rest and time change. My mom, sister, and I also checked out the restaurants in the area, so I had a good understanding of where everything was compared to lots of my friends.
During our time in Southern Italy, we took a day trip to Capri, sat on the beach in Positano, wine tasted at Mount Vesuvius, and drove to the top of Ravello. The views were stunning, and as a VisComm Major, my photography brain was loving it! I’ve attached photos from that week at the bottom of this blog. Two days ago, I moved into my apartment here in Sorrento and have been getting acclimated to life in Sorrento. I have six roommates, three in my direct apartment and three in the other apartment in our “pod.” Two of them are from USC! Everyone has been so nice, and I am so excited about what the semester holds. Unfortunately, it has been raining non-stop here and the walk to class is very wet and cold. However, the views from our classroom make it all worth it! The photo I have attached from the marina is what I see sitting from my desk! So far, I only have had my Italian class which is going to be extremely helpful for navigating life in Italy. Other than Italian, I am taking Food Marketing, Tourism in Italy, History of Food and Culture, and History of the Mafia! Sant’Anna (the school I am studying at) has done a great job at planning activities for us to get to know people. For example, last night my roommates and I took a yoga class together!
So far, I am having a great time abroad. While I am still getting acclimated to things, I see an exciting future ahead and cannot wait to keep you all updated.
Comments