What is/are your major(s)?

International Relations & Political Science

What is/are your minor(s)?

Italian

What is the name of your study abroad program?

CIS: Sant’Anna Institute in Sorrento

In what city & country is your study abroad program located?

Sorrento, Italy

What is something you would like the blog readers to know about you that they wouldn’t know by just looking at you?

I love to journal and draw when I travel. I have a sketchbook entirely dedicated to traveling, where I write about events from my day or reflections I have, paired with drawings of places that I visit. Taking a moment to slow down and focus so intently on your surroundings while away from home is one of my absolute favorite feelings.

What is one thing that you are most anticipating about your study abroad experience?

I’m anticipating speaking the language! I’ve been studying Italian for the past 3 years now at DU, but have had little opportunity for real-world applications. I’m living in an apartment in the town of Sorrento– and I’m most excited for small exchanges like buying groceries, ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or even just plain small-talk with the locals. There aren’t many Italian speakers around the world outside of Italy, so I’m planning on taking advantage of my time there.

Why did you decide to study abroad? or What inspired you to study abroad?

My road to studying abroad began when I was a sophomore in high school. After a long week of multiple interviews and essays, I had been accepted into the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. My assigned country was Italy, and my 15-year-old self was more than ready to spend an entire year at an Italian high school. I’d never felt such a huge rush of excitement at the time, and it was intoxicating. Italy was all I could think about, the language was all I could study (at the expense of my high school French skills), and I was mentally packing up all my belongings many months in advance.

Then, as it did with many exciting plans, COVID-19 cancelled my program. I was heartbroken. The year that I was meant to be spending expanding my language skills, eating delicious Italian food, and traveling Europe– I actually spent trapped in my mom’s basement. For years, the “Italy thing” was a sore subject– a bruise sensitive to the touch whenever someone brought it up.

When I came to DU and needed to choose a language to study, Italian just seemed like the correct answer. I was still grieving that missed opportunity, and this seemed like a way to keep that attachment alive. I knew that I wanted to study abroad in college and I had my heart set on Italy. Even though I initially went to Morocco, part of me knew that if it fit within my degree requirements, I’d want to go again.

So, in a way, I’m completing a 6-year-old journey. Coming full circle.