If I had planned better...

... this would have been the first post. It's sort of the About Me page, why I'm studying abroad and who I am.

About the blogger and the study abroad program:

• I am a 20 year old female college student who is about to leave the United States and study abroad in Italy for the next 17 weeks.
• I am in my last semester of my junior year at Castleton State College in Castleton, Vermont.
• As a Global Studies Major at Castleton, I am required to study abroad for at least 15 weeks and become culturally immersed in the country I will be living in.
• Becoming culturally immersed is the key part of this study abroad experience. I have to be an active participant in Roman culture, to experience more than just the college and my apartment. Here is a link to an article that explains this idea really well. 
• I plan to become culturally immersed in a few different ways:
• 1) Find a language partner. The American University of Rome (AUR), the school I am attending, states on their website that they have an existing program for this purpose, which I plan to use.
• 2) Sign up for a cooking class, and if time/money permits, a painting class. I want to learn how to cook authentic Italian foods, and I want to improve my painting skills. (I can't think of a better place for either!)
• 3) Volunteer my time while I'm abroad. AUR has a few opportunities for students to get involved in the local area, and there may be some in the neighborhood I am staying in as well.
• When I return to Castleton in the Fall and start my senior year, I will be enrolled in a Capstone Seminar, where I will prepare a presentation and a paper that connects my education at Castleton with what I learned abroad through my cultural immersion.

Why Italy:

• I chose Rome for my study abroad for a few different reasons. 
• First is that I have always wanted to visit Italy. Italy has drawn me in since I was little. There is a whole list of why: the amazing food and flavors that are authentically Italian; ancient buildings that exist to this day; the language sounds beautiful; the Vatican; the Renaissance period with artists like Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Giotto, and Bramante; the sights from tall towers, looking over the entire city. My grandfather and his partner Joe go to Florence every eight years or so, and I have always dreamed that I would be able to go to Italy on my own someday. I had considered a transfer year when I was in high school, but I instead skipped my junior year and graduated early. Italy just made the most logical sense for my study abroad when I transferred to Castleton.
• Second was the courses that were available to me, and their ability to transfer back to Castleton. I am taking three political science classes, a religion course, and a foreign language course, which will apply directly to my Global Studies Major and my Political Science Minor. These courses will give me a first hand opportunity to learn about the European Union while living there, to learn about the global impact from different countries foreign policies, and learn about religion and culture in a country that has a huge influence on both. 
• Third is best described by my blog title, which is "il cuore non sbaglia." This literally translates to "the heart is not wrong." However, its English counter proverb would actually be "The heart sees farther than the head" or "trust your instincts." Rome is a gut instinct. It feels right.