I have to be honest, I almost forgot I had a blog. Shame on me. The truth is I am returning to the blog world to inform you that I am going overseas. I will be studying abroad in Florence, Italy starting in January. Studying abroad is something I have dreamt about my whole life. I haven’t done much travelling outside of the United States if you don’t consider Canada and Mexico. But I know the travel bug is in my blood, and if I had the opportunity to go to every country in the world, heaven knows I would. Now that I have the opportunity to go to Italy for the semester, I can’t help but feel like it’s a dream. For those of you that have been before, I used to envy you. Now that I will be one of those people, it’s almost like a shock to my system. To be immersed in a country with breathtaking landscapes, beautiful people, rich history, irreplaceable art, and food that puts America’s to shame is something I’ve longed to experience.
While I’m there, I will be taking four classes, a contemporary Italian art class (something I know zippo about), Renaissance Italian Architecture History, an advanced painting class (yikes!), and an Italian class. I’m hoping my years of Spanish in high school help me out a little bit with understanding the language, but the truth is I hardly know any Italian. Mom and Dad got me an Italian program for Christmas. All I’ve learned so far is how to say is “hot” and “Turn right.” At least they’ll know how I like my coffee and how to get to the Duomo with only right turns. Trust me, that takes talent. But I’m going with an open mind to learn and I’m praying the complete immersion will help me adapt to the new culture. I’m looking forward to my classes, and I’ll keep you updated on how the language barrier is holding up. I’m hoping to lower it swiftly and painlessly.
Because I am going with a program not directly connected to my school, I know hardly any, scratch that, no one else going. This excites me and makes me nervous at the same time. I enjoy the thrill of knowing no one, but I’m also the kind of person that likes to know if I will click with at least some, if not all, of the other students going. It’s just one of those things that you’ll never know until you get there. The other thing that excites me about this is the thought that it is basically God and I going on this trip. Because I don’t know anyone else yet, I will have to rely on the Holy Spirit more than I have before. This is something you can pray for me, as I will not have the same Christian support and fellowship as I have had at school for that past three years. This is an exciting and trying time for me, and I ask for your prayers. This is my mission field, and I don’t want to lose sight that Christ works in every area of the world and following God’s Will is not just for stateside.
Let me know if you decide on visiting Italy between January and May, and perhaps we can grab gelato at my favorite Gelataria! I’m sure I will have many. Arrivederci for now.
