Around the mountain we go to Paderno del Grappa!

After a hectic flight, almost missing my connection in Paris, and realizing that my French and Italian language skills are almost non-existent; surprisingly, I made it to my home for the next four weeks, Paderno del Grappa!

My first view of the village was a few spots of white, yellow and peach colored squares sitting among a vast green forest that spread to the misty mountain in the background. It was breathtaking. The bus, full of CIMBA students, grew silent at the first sight of the mountain. Then, at an instant, fingers were pointing and the excitement level in the small bus that holds a mere 18 students grew into joyous chattering.

Although students from CIMBA come from literally all over the United States, I knew that would not matter. We were all there for one reason, and the fears I once had about traveling to a foreign continent, by myself, vanished as I realized in reality everyone was just like me. Whether they came knowing someone or not, they were excited, and that was all that mattered.

… Not to mention, the view from my room was… well, the picture doesn’t do it justice!

Within the first few days, I have yet to find 10 minutes of “free time,” and I have loved every minute of it!  Every day I am out exploring new areas around the village or chilling in the local pizzeria enjoying authentic Italian wine.

I have met countless new friends and most recently just booked a trip to Florence for the weekend! I have also learned that booking a trip to Florence for the weekend is more complicated than you would think! But after a few grinding hours on the computer and a lot of patience, we were able to finish by 2 am. Although it was frustrating at the time, it was a valuable learning experience.

For example, I learned it is important to first choose where exactly you want to go. I know this may seem obvious, but if you have too many options, it will simply eat away all the time. Second, spending hours trying to find the best deal may not be as worth it as you may think. It builds frustration, and time is valuable (especially when you have so many things you want to see)! Yes, it is important to make sure you are paying a reasonable amount of money, but then simply make the decision to purchase. You will find out the results will be worth it.

Finally, I’d like to add that I am sure to learn even more “valuable learning experiences” in Florence this weekend as well!

Until next time,
Olivia