Let's start over, shall we?
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by to read my blog that's not about alcoholism. I started this blog as my way to document the incredible three months I'll be spending studying abroad in Florence, Italy. This will undoubtedly be the adventure of a lifetime, and I'm so excited and grateful to be able to take advantage of this amazing opportunity. I know throughout the rest of my life that I'll be able to travel, hopefully, and explore more of this world; but the chances of being able to go to actually study in another country for a significant amount of time are much slimmer. I'll be able to learn the basics of the language, immerse myself in the culture, and experience a little bit of the life of my grandparents before they came to America. This is my chance to explore my heritage while meeting other students who have just as much of a desire to explore and go on adventures as I do. My blog will help me to keep track of what I do, analyze and process the cultural differences I experience, and allow my friends and family to follow my journey.
While picking the name for this blog, I knew I wanted it to be both informative and witty. When people see the title, they should then read exactly what they expected to. So, you already know I'm exploring Italy. You know I'm spending a semester abroad, from September 1st until December 17th. I've told you I'll be writing about my experiences living in my family's homeland, completely immersed in the culture. I know there will be many customs and behaviors that won't be a surprise to me since I grew up in a very Italian household, but I am still expecting to feel some type of culture shock upon my arrival and during my stay. This is where the Culture part of the title comes in.
Adventure is pretty self explanatory, I hope. I'm going to a foreign country where I don't speak the native language, not fluently; I won't know a single soul upon my arrival; I'll be traveling on my own, navigating airports and the city, trying to communicate with other travelers and personnel; I'm taking classes at a University I've never attended; I'll be living in an apartment with 5 other women I've never met; I intend to travel all over Italy, as well as other parts of Europe during my three months abroad. The food, the people, the scenery, and the language will all be new experiences for me. This is going to be the biggest adventure of my life. Am I nervous? Very. Am I excited? Even more so. But I am never going to be able to take advantage of an opportunity like this again. It's adventure time.
Now for the moment you've all been waiting for. "Wine." This was included in the title for three reasons. The first was because I thought it was funny. Italians are known for drinking their wine, most of which is homemade in some dark cellar in the basement.
Yes, there was one in my grandparents' home.
Yes, we always had fruit flies in the house because of it.
No, I've never actually tried it.
Who wouldn't want to read a blog that has wine in it? Maybe it'll inspire you to pour yourself a glass.
The second reason I chose to include "Wine" in the title is to acknowledge my future posts about the food and drink that I'll be trying. I'm using it as an overarching term to cover any meal and all they entail. Such a large part of Italian culture is food: pasta, pizza, fish, antipasto, olive oil, garlic, bakeries, pastries, chocolate, you name it. I don't think I've ever met anyone who has said "Yeah, I'm down for anything for dinner tonight but Italian food. It's not really my thing. Garlic bread and pasta have too many calories." If you know someone like that, do yourself a favor and end that friendship. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
The final reason for this title word choice is personal: it's my small victory lap for being able to overcome what used to be one of my greatest fears - alcohol.
Those who know me know that I'm really not a drinker. I have many family members who are currently alcoholics and some who are recovering. I am very aware of my heightened chance to follow in their footsteps. For the majority of my life I had a severe fear of all things related to drinking as it was associated with very difficult times in my life and bad memories. Because of this, I defied the stereotypical college student behavior of partying and binge drinking. To this day I still haven't been to a "college party," and I don't regret that decision. However, over the last few years of being exposed to more, let's say, normal social drinking, I have come to realize that not all alcohol consumption is indicative of alcoholism. Social drinks are acceptable and encouraged. Even if someone has had more than their fair share, it doesn't mean they're going to become belligerent and angry. Their sense of humor might even improve! Fellow bad pun makers, rejoice! We might have a target audience.
So you see, I really have thought out my title. I could have done something boring like "My Adventures in Italy" or "Look Out, Florence! Here Comes Yet Another American Student!" But I like to think things out and make them have meaning, real depth. And alas, "Italy Explored: A Semester of Culture, Wine, and Adventure" was born.
I leave in 14 days, just two short weeks and I'll begin my journey. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about my future blog posts, and I hope you follow me in my adventures. But I don't mean literally -- that was not your invitation to show up at the local coffee shop in Florence where I'll be every day. But you're welcome to follow my blog, find me on Facebook, and look for recent postings! Seriously, stay in America.
Until my next update,
Ciao!
P.S. If any of you did sit back in your chair and stroke your chin during this post, please comment below and tell me. Because I'd really like to know.
