How Do You Say “Ready!” in Italian?

“Pronto!”

This word accurately reflects the excitement and readiness for my upcoming trip to Italy!

After my lovely friend Monica arrived back from her study abroad semester in Florence we got to talking about everything and anything Italian and European related. Let me tell you, two days isn’t even enough to talk about every thing I need/want to know.

The biggest thing she helped me realize was that I needed to narrow down my list of places I want to travel. So for my international trips I’ve decided to go to Paris (of course), Amsterdam, Istanbul (for spring break), and Berlin (which will be my next blog post after this). All of these places have different cultural backgrounds and I think will give me a good vibe of Europe. In addition to these trips, I’ll also do a trip when my parents visit me and when my younger sister visits me. For her, I think Croatia or Prague (or Greece) would be really great places to take her out since she loves young nightlife. I’ll also be doing future blog posts this summer on those locations to compare between them.

Monica also helped me to come up a good list of places to travel within Italy. I mean, although I’m there to experience Europe, I am in Italy and I want to be able to take away a little bit of Italy when I leave. So for Italy I’m going to travel to Cinque Terre, Venice for Carnivale, Bologne, Milan, and the Amalfi Coast, which will all be further explored virtually from my laptop this summer. Of course if I have the money or time I’ll go to some other locations as well but those are the ones that sound the most interesting so far. Also, TCU provides a trip to Rome and Sienna so those are also places that I’ll get to see as well.

I just can’t wait for the next 6 months to fly by so that I am able to finally see all these places I’ve been researching for the past few months. I love my friends and I am quite comfortable in my American bedroom, in my American suburban home, deep in the heart of Texas, but I’m ready to explore a new world and new side of myself. Monica explained study abroad as, “Challenging yourself every day, even in the littlest things.” and that’s something I am looking forward to doing while I’m there. When we were talking at lunch she said, “It’s weird coming back and seeing that nothing has changed here, but knowing that I’ve changed and seen so much.” That thought was a reality check that I may come back with so many experiences and memories that I will be a changed person when I come back. However, that’s something I’m excited about.

Now, she also explained what to pack for Italy. Her main advice is pack what you love and what represents you. So here’s my beginning list of what to bring:

-A cute winter coat. So my printed blush pink coat from Anthropologie will definitely be accompanying me.

-Some basic black pieces for layering.

-Jeans, at least 2 pairs.

-Leggings. I will be bringing every single pair I own.

-Flat boots. I’m thinking of investing in a custom leather pair when I get there to wear for the majority of the trip.

-Not too many accessories because you can always buy lots of scarves and jewelry there.

So far that’s the list for packing, which is a good start. I think the best thing I’m going to back is a smile and a good attitude, because I’m going to look like an American regardless, so why not be a polite and nice American. Hopefully going from blonde to brunette before I leave will help me to fit in a little better.