Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

I've always wanted to study abroad! It's definitely been a dream for me. But, if has proven to be a lot more complicated than I ever thought it would be. It's not just a 6 week trip during the summer, it's a way of life - a new way of thinking, a force pushing me out of my comfort zone... and certainly an investment. Studying abroad is so expensive! My parents are going to help me pay for a bit of it, but I'll be left with the responsibility of paying the rest. It's kind of a cool feeling though - being responsible for something more than I've ever had to deal with. I will be taking out a partial loan and paying for the rest with some savings. There are so many different things to keep up with between forms, applications, payment options, etc! I'm even taking an Italian foreign language class to start off on the right path. Surprisingly, Italian is very similar to Spanish so it hasn't been too tough thus far. We'll see how the rest of the semester goes! I took a Freshman Seminar class last semester titled Literary Journalism: The Italy Story. If my parents have anyone to blame for me wanting to go to Italy so badly, my professor would be the one. As part of the class, we read articles from various travel magazines about the various places in Italy. Florence, Bologna, Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Venice, Verona, The Etruscans, Rome, Cinque Terra, Milan, Pisa, Lucca, Trieste... I read one article by Frances Mayes (Author of Under the Tuscan Sun) titled "Under the Etruscan Wall". It seriously changed my life and definitely prompted me to make a change in my life and finally seek out and do those things that were once just some faraway dream.