Ciao! It was exactly one week ago when I touched down on Italian soil! It was the craziest experience. It all went by very fast, but the first day was most exhausting. After being jet lagged, and getting little to no sleep in days, it was a lot to take in at first. As soon as we got to the CIMBA campus, it was only just beginning! You got your keys to find your room, you had orientation and then had to get up by 8 AM to start your first day of classes the very next day! It was so exciting to get started!
The very first day was tiring but amazing. I met new people, tried new foods, and got to see very beautiful views everywhere I looked. I also had class where I get to learn in a beautiful classroom with professors from other colleges as well, which I think is pretty cool.
I dove right into a hefty schedule with learning everything at once. I had decided to take an Intro to Law class at 8 AM and then I had Intro to Management at 9:45 AM. Those classes were hard but fun. The hardest thing, like any type of new class, was getting used to a new professor and structure. I decided to take these classes because they lean towards my major and it just seemed like fun classes to take while studying abroad. I think the most interesting thing is being able to learn about American law in Italy, where law is vastly different from home. My management class is fun as well! The teacher is so fun and makes class enjoyable. She likes to make sure we are meeting new people and having new experiences. What I do like as well is that if you are even just a minute late to class, you have to dance to a song of your choice in front of the class. It is funny for the class and an incentive to make sure you’re not late.
Although classes are great, that is only half the trip while being here! I have made some incredible friends that I would have never met any other way. I even made some friends from the same university, where we even had someone in common that we both knew. Who would have thought that 4,000+ miles away and I would meet someone that knew someone else I knew. We have been inseparable ever since and I can not even believe that I have only known her for a week.
We decided to go to Cinque Terre for the weekend after getting some tickets from someone else that decided not to go. We met other girls as well that wanted to go so we all decided to go together. It was so beautiful and breathtaking. It all seemed surreal. The first day we were all exhausted and went straight to bed. The next day though was very enjoyable but exhausting. We went to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which was an interesting site to see. Although it is clearly leaning, when you’re taking a photo, it looks like it is straight up for whatever reason. It was an overall great weekend with new adventures and friends along the way.
For the upcoming week, I get to go on three separate field trips through the school, and will be traveling to Florence, Italy this weekend! I am going with the same friends I met from last week and we get to go on a new adventure together. Make some memories while figuring out a foreign country has been a blast.