So I’m not in Italy… Yet!!

I will arrive in Italy in early September, in order to travel for a while before I need to begin semester at the Universita degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia. As I’m writing this post in anticipation of leaving, I’ll talk a bit about what I’ve planned! First of all, I’ll arrive late in the evening in Milan, where I will meet my cousin the next day. She has been travelling around Europe for a while now, so we intend to visit somewhere in Italy that neither of us has already seen – Genova. We’ll spend four days in Genova, exploring the old town, which is apparently palace-abundant. I believe that there are also some absolutely beautiful stretches of coastline, where I look very much forward to swimming and lounging on the beach.

From Genova it’s straight up to Modena, where I’ll hopefully be able to find accommodation without too much fuss, but who knows? It could turn into a French (or should that be Italian) farce which won’t be at all amusing at the time but in hindsight will be absolutely hilarious. In Modena, I’m fully expecting to swan about eating gelato in the main piazza before starting classes at the end of September. I’m a little worried about these classes, as I’ve made the brave (some might say incorrectly, foolhardy) decision to study entirely in Italian. However, I am really looking forward to uni, making new friends and all of those other good things (broadening my mind etc.) My last two experiences at educational institutions in Italy were nothing short of amazing, so optimistic expectations are maintained.

Whilst in Italy, I plan on eating obscene amounts of pizza, not to mention sampling all of the local specialties (balsamic vinegar is one of Modena’s, I believe). Then there’s the shopping. Oh god, all the shopping. Genuine leather sandals and handbags, scarves, dresses, all hopefully on sale (being the end of summer and all that). My bag is now (mostly) packed, flights are booked, farewells are happening. I can’t wait to get over there, really. More than anything else, I’m looking forward to speaking Italian on a daily basis – what more could you ask for? At this point I am mightily pleased with my decision to study Italian all through school, as I’m now fairly capable of communicating in Italian, which will be helpful, I think.

The main reason I chose the global studies course at UTS was because it encouraged a semester of exchange, which I planned to take full advantage of, and despite several issues with the possibility of studying Italian with them, I am now about to embark on a terrifying/exciting adventure. So au revoir to Australia, see you on the flip side!

– Isabel Muscatello