Danielle Binkley

One of the many things I heard before coming to Italy was how good all the food was and how I must try everything and anything. I have an open mind when it comes to trying food and have always been told to try everything at least once before you decide if you don’t like it, so this experience was going to be fun. As for the food on campus, I was not sure what to think. I was not sure if it was going to be like in elementary or middle school where the food was never quite cooked all the way, or it was overcooked. Where we going to have to grab a tray and get our food, was the tables were going to be hard plastic with attached round seats; I was about to find out. Sitting in my room on week 8 and looking back at the first night here and what we had to eat, I don’t know if it was from being so exhausted or just having to have two meals on the plane, but it was the best meal I had in what seemed like days. I cannot even remember what it was, but it was pasta of some kind, and we had a vegetable and water.

Being a student at CIMBA has many benefits from being in Italy for three months to the planned outings. Our second outing as a group was to the small town of Asolo. Asolo is an 11-minute drive south of campus. When you pull up on the bus to the city center you are greeted with a beautiful fountain. Off to the right of the fountain is a Bar (café) that has amazing gelato and if you go to the left just up the street there is a family-owned and operated pizzeria. We had the pleasure of coming in on a Monday when they are closed, and having a first-hand look at how pizza is made. He told us the ingredients they use and what makes a good dough. Then it was time to put us to work. Three at a time, we went down and spread open the dough, put on the sauce and toppings, and let the wood-fired oven do its magic. I will say it was the BEST pizza I have ever had!

My time in Italy has been rewarding. The people of this small town are so kind and warm to the funny American students, and some of the local shop owners will even ask what state you are from and then point it out on the map they have. I found this true at the little bar (we call them coffee shops) around the corner from the school, which I like to go to on the weekends. I particularly enjoyed it on Saturday before the start of the second week. I knew it would be a long week ahead with starting Genesis or Experiential Leadership Training on Wednesday morning and running until late Friday afternoon. I do not think the twenty-seven of us here were expecting what was going to happen in the coming days.

It is Friday night, of the first week at CIMBA, and as I sit at my desk, listening to everyone getting ready for their first weekend way, I cannot be happier to just be staying on campus and exploring the area. I know they will come back on Sunday with amazing stories to tell but for me, it is more important to make my physical and mental health a priority over travel