Is there a pause button I can hit?!?

I keep thinking I've had the most stressful and busy week of my life, and then a new one starts. I apologize for all the late posts, once again. This post is about April 7th-12th.

As of April 12th, I have 30 days left in Rome. This absolutely insane. On one hand, I'm excited to get home, to see my family and my friends, to come back to Castleton in the fall, and to finish college. On the other hand, the idea that I won't be in Europe in 30 days is terrifying. I've gotten very used to my life here, all the small hassles and the slowly disappearing language barrier. I'm able to hold conversations, but there are still a lot of vocabulary missing for me.

Other than the fact the I'm almost finished this semester, I've been thinking a lot about my MUN class. Our final deadlines for position papers was the 13th, but I uploaded mine on the 12th, just to be safe. I had been working on these papers for the last month, so for them to be finally done and turned in is nice.

I've also been named Head Delegate for our Delegation. Our previous Head Delegate has to fly home and will not be able to attend, so I stepped up and was voted the new Head Delegate. Ellen, the previous Head, was auditing the class as this was the third time she had taken it. She was just doing it to be able go to MUN again, and as a result, wasn't very active as our Head Delegate, but I have been stepping up over the past three months, and now it is my official title.

My teacher isn't a hundred percent sure what it means officially at the conference to be the Head Delegate, but unofficially I'll be checking in to make sure everyone is in their committees, make sure everything is running smoothly, calm down people when they get stressed out. Luckily, it's all stuff I'm good at.

I am starting to think that after college I want to have a career that allows me to use the skills I've gained in this class. I would like to do something with diplomacy, but probably not with the UN. I respect the UN and all it does, but it is unfortunately not as effective as it could be, at least for the General Assembly. I think I want to work for an IGO or NGO that does make progress, in a significant way. I want to be part of real change that actually helps the world.

The closer we get to finals, the more projects my teachers assign. They're all listed in my syllabi, so it wasn't unexpected, but still all at the same time. This is my schedule for the next four weeks:

• 4/13: Composition in Italian due, as well as write-up of how the oral presentation prep is going.
• 4/14: Turkish Minister Presentatino - Extra Credit for Two Classes
• 4/15: Memo due for ECPO course, worth 20% of my grade
• 4/16: Debate in IA 200 on Feminism from an Int'l Relations POV
• 4/16: Lecture given by FAO to promote their MUN in September, which I won't be around for, but FAO may have info/be able to answer questions of mine for my MUN
• 4/17: MUN Class, full day of mock committee, must know all Parliamentary phrases, esp. since we have a guest that day. Second Draft Resolution is due, on agriculture and food security
• 4/18: ISA trip to Ninfa and Sermoneta, which I may pass on since it's a week away from MUN
• 4/21 or 22: Oral presentation on Food in Italy, throughout it's regions.
• 4/23-4/27: MUN Conference in the Hague.
• 4/28 or 29: Italian Final Oral Exam
• 4/30: IA 200 Term Paper Due (completed by 4/29)
• 4/30: IA 360 MUN Reflection Paper Due (completed by 4/29)
• 4:30-5/3: Trip to Ireland
• 5/4: Last day of classes
• 5/5: Study Day for Exams
• 5/6: ECOP Final Exam
• 5/7: Italian Final Written Exam
• 5/7: IA 200 Final Exam
• 5/12: Fly Home

This is in addition to all my classes, which will still meet and have regular homework assignments, and anything that will come up with the volunteer club and cultural immersion. It's just a lot all in the next few weeks. But on the 12th, when I come home, the only thing I have to do is fight jet lag and slowly unpack. It will be bittersweet to leave, but I am so looking forward to catching up on sleep.

Ciao!

So Wednesday night, I booked a flight to Berlin for the first weekend in March to visit Jenn in Germany. I spent quite a few hours searching for flights, because we had originally planned to meet up in Paris during our spring breaks, but the flight and hostel stay to Paris alone would have been about €200, not to mention how much it would cost for food, transportation, and all the touristy things, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. So I will have to go to Paris another time.

I didn't end up getting to go to the RetakeRoma event, because around 3am on Sunday morning I woke up and was sick, until about 6am. I slept on the couch, because I didn't want to wake my roommate up each time had to leave the room. I think I got food poising from a little fruiterria around the corner from my apartment, a few of the strawberries I had eaten tasted a bit weird, and even though I stopped eating them, I still managed to get sick. So I will definitely be going to the next event, because I was really upset that I wasn't able to help out.

I had my first test in Italian 102 on Thursday. I wasn't confident going into the test, but I think I might be okay. A lot of the verb endings still trick me up, especially the irregular verbs. Each verb and noun has a different ending based on the form of the sentence. We're also doing past tense with verbs, which means I need to know if the verb uses avere or essere, and then figure out which form of avere or essere needs to be used in front of the verb. It really isn't that difficult, it's just memorization, but I still struggle with it.

I'm really enjoying my ECPO class, the Introduction to the European Union class. My teacher is Aldo Patania, who is a very interesting character. He lectures in class, and then at the beginning of the following class, he has us close our notes and then he "picks our brains" to see if we actually learned it, or if there is something that was unclear. I'm learning quite a bit about the EU. We've gone through the different types of integration, from horizontal when a member joins the EU, to vertical when an idea/concept is added to the focus of the EU. We've also talked about the four stages of economic integration: Free Trade Areas, Customs Union, Common Market, and Economic and Monetary Union. The only way for the EU to integrate further would be politically, which many countries are against. My teacher told us that Federalism is "the f-word" of Europe. But regardless, it's a good class. Even though I think my teacher is a bit of a neo-liberal when it comes to economics.

In the MUN class today, we practiced informal caucusing and consensus building in class. We, in the scenario, had to determine which of two crises the General Assembly was going to create a resolution for. The first crisis was ISIS threatening to behead another hostage, unless they received the ransom. The UN resolution would require all governments not to pay ransom for hostage release. The second crisis was about climate change, and that one of the principal obstacles to addressing are the structures of governance, even though there is a growing consensus scientifically that it is a real problem now. The UN resolution would define the way forward that addresses structural weaknesses in our system of governance at every level to address climate change. We as a group came to the conclusion the climate change was the issue that needed to be tackled first, after quite a bit of discussion. I'm getting more and more excited about the actual conference, the more I learn about India and the more we practice.

I'm also going to the Vatican tomorrow. I'm very excited to finally see Michelangelo's paintings, and to tour the museum. I'm going by myself, as most of ISA is travelling to Venice for Carnevale on Saturday, but it's probably for the best, because seeing a Michelangelo in person is a big deal for me, and I want to be able to just take it all in, without having to worry about wasting anyone else's time. I'll probably post a separate picture post from the Vatican.

Until next week!

Non riesco a pensare a un titolo...

Ciao!

I've started part of my cultural immersion this week. I signed up for the Volunteer Club, and we had our first meeting yesterday during lunch. We  discussed what sort of organizations we'd like to assist this semester, and three ideas seemed to be the most popular. The first is Retake Roma, an organization/group of people who go around and remove old posters and graffiti in the area. They leave the nice graffiti, like the one I posted on this blog, but take down the tags/ugly graffiti. So on Sunday, I'll be helping to clean up Piazza Rosolino Pilo and the surrounding area.

The second idea the Volunteer Club had was to help out with a local dog shelter, by walking the dogs, playing with them, cleaning up kennels, etc. I'm very excited about this one, because I miss my chocolate lab Cali and playing with surrogate dogs will help with that hopefully.

The third idea was to help L'Associazione Peter Pan Onlus, an organization for families of child cancer patients. The Co-presidents of the Volunteer Club are attempting to reach out to this organization, but it looks like we would be helping the children with English, by reading to them and visiting them certain days of the week.

We're also planning a bake sale around midterms, and the money for that will either go to the dog shelter or Peter Pan Onlus. Last year, they were able to raise almost $500 for Aura's House, to help sponsor a girl in the Philippines emergency education fund.

I also think my Italian is getting slightly better. I'm still struggling with all the different forms of verbs, but my vocabulary is getting bigger, and I'm able to use phrases I learn in class at the grocery story and at the bus stop when people ask me for directions. I'm glad I look like I know where I'm going, but I don't really know how to direct people, since I usually don't understand where they want to go. Non lo so is becoming one of my most used phrases.

I also found out today that in the Model UN conference, I will be representing India, in the Environmental Commission. My classmate Beatrice is also representing India, but on the Human Rights Council, so some of our country research will be similar, but with a different focus in the end. My other classmates are representing South Africa, Mexico, Sweden, and one classmate, who has been to an MUN before, is representing New Zealand on the Security Council.

Until next week!

Adjustments

This is the first week that I have started to feel the culture shock that Ana prepared all of the study abroad students for. I find myself missing the ease of having a dinning hall available almost all hours, or being at home with a fully stocked kitchen, with all the utensils/equipment that I need to cook. Just a bit of frustration with "living on my own," but not unmanageable.

Classes also started this week. I am registered for five classes: ITL 102 - Intermediate Italian Two, ECPO 204 - Introduction to the European Union, IARE 302 - Islam and Politics, IA 200 - International Relations: Theories and Cases, and IA 360 - Special Topic: Model UN. Originally the last two classes I wasn't registered for, but I switched into them after attending my Ethics and Global Policies class, which seemed like the intro to ethics class that I've already taken, and the All Roads Lead to Rome religion class, which I found out was a course taught by SEVEN different University of Miami teachers, who flew out to teach this course in Rome. I didn't think having a different teacher every other week was going to help with the adjustment, so I transferred out of it.

I'm excited about all of my classes now, but I am most excited for the Model UN class. The class is required to attend a MUN conference, and the teacher (who's last job was working with the UN World Food Program, as the Country Director and Representative in Ethiopia and Mozambique) has chosen the conference in The Hague, Netherlands, in April. I have wanted to attend a MUN since I was in middle school and one of my classes attended the International Day of Peace in 2007 at the UN Headquarters in NYC. In the MUN, I will be a member of the General Assembly, a member of the Human Rights Committee, or a member of the Environmental Committee. I'm not sure which one I'll pick just yet, as I don't know what country I will be representing.

My Islam and Politics class is making me wish that I hadn't rented the book we used in World History II last year, Destiny Disrupted. I remember all the general information when my professor is lecturing, but not exact details. Maybe there's a kindle version. And my Intro to the EU class is really fast paced but so far very good. I've been told by AUR students that most resident students wait until their senior year to take macro economics, because it's only taught by him. But they also said that he's a good teacher, as long as you come prepared and are willing to work. So it should be a fun, challenging course.

The view from the rooftop terrace of the American University of Rome 

The zoom on my camera is amazing. The tallest tower is the Santa Francesca Romana Church, about 4 kilometers away.

The Wedding Cake, or Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland)

Oh, one last thing. Just when I thought I had my main bus route to and from school down, I'm proven wrong. I take bus 44 both ways, and it's nine stops to school and ten on the way back. I was riding back to the apartment, and had gotten off to go to Todis, a supermarcato on the bus route. When I got back on, I was standing near two school children who were talking, and I was listening, to see if I could recognize any of the words that these children were saying. I was so focused on how much larger their vocabulary was from mine, that I didn't notice that we went right by the stop I'm supposed to get off the bus. I didn't even notice until the bus was turning off the street, which doesn't happen before my stop. So I got off and looked at the sign, and the bus had gone seven or eight stops before I realized it. Luckily, I was able to find my way back, but it was a bit nerve wracking as I was by myself, and in an area I haven't been in before, without internet or a phone. Always a blast. But at least my life is interesting.

Until next time!

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.