Pre-Flight

I'm starting this blog because most study-abroaders that I've talked to have told me how they wish they had kept one during their travels. I don't write, minus grocery lists and lab reports, so bear with me as I try to make these posts as interesting as possible. I've also been at home for the past week and a half and would rather spend time fiddling with blog posts and free designs while rewatching Grey's Anatomy from season one than even start thinking about how much I need to cram in a suitcase that is less than 50 pounds.

I decided to study abroad on a whim last December. My brother had spent eight weeks that summer hiking the Appalachian trail with his best friend and my sister had just returned from the Dominican Republic, volunteering for nine weeks and living in rural communities with various families. I, however, had spent my third consecutive summer in the sunny Santa Barbs, working a fun job on campus and drinking pina coladas by the Pacific Ocean every evening wondering why the "real world" was supposed to suck. Well, not really, but you get the point. I realized that I needed to step outside my comfort zone before I graduated college and I decided that studying abroad was the way to do it. Why Florence? Not sure. The pasta, pizza, and gelato certainly didn't make the decision any harder. I've only heard the best things about Italy and Florence seemed like a good fit. Plus, the deadline for the program had been extended and it was the only one I could still squeeze into. So Florence it was!

I fly to Florence in about 30 hours. Well, not directly to Florence. I'm going San Fran to Chicago to London to Rome and spending the night there in a random hostel that I found, and then taking the train into Florence Monday morning. I'll probably be dog tired and over the entire experience by then but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, yeah? Hope so. I have never been to Europe and never flown solo internationally, so this could get interesting. Brett and I flew back to Louisville when we were little to visit friends, but had a flight attendant with us the entire time. When the flight was cancelled because of thunderstorms, we raced each other in wheelchairs all night and then bought too many Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. If my flight was cancelled now, I would immediately assume fetal position but probably still buy donuts.

I'll mostly be posting pictures on this blog as I try to immerse myself in the Italian culture. That'll start with learning Italian (I currently know very little, except that cow is "mucca" and apple is "mela"…. thank you, Duolingo) and navigating my lost soul around the city. The next four months will fly by so here goes nothing!

Current thoughts:
- Can't forget to check in for my flight
- My Italian visa picture is awful
- Is it socially acceptable for a 21-year-old to travel with a pillowpet?