Ciao!!
“I want to be where I am, and be fully there, instead of missing the things I’ve been looking forward to for so long, caught up in my fears and anxieties.” -Shauna Niequist
I read this quote today and I think it is such a great reminder as we wrap up our study abroad adventures. I often find myself looking forward to the next thing rather than living in the present and enjoying the blessings I have today. I have always looked forward to studying abroad, so I hope that in these last 2 weeks we can all be fully here and put any worries or future adventures to the side.
I can’t believe it is our last week of classes and field trips in Italy! The trip has flown by and has been filled with many exciting adventures, lots of fabulous food, a few long days, but overall the semester of a lifetime!
This past week we visited more modern parts of Rome (Eataly and Cinecitta) and had lectures on current and more recent Italian history! Eataly is a large, Italian supermarket store (think an IKEA of food or a Whole Foods on steroids)! The Eataly in Rome is huge and is in the location of an old train station hub. Full of fresh groceries, restaurants, cookbooks, and lots of learning- it is heaven for any foodie! We got to spend a few hours in the store, eating lunch and shopping around for Italian food and gifts. Afterwards we headed to Cinecitta which is an Italian film studio. This was very neat because we were able to see the sets and backdrops that are used in different movies and TV shows. Parts of Gangs of New York, The Passion of the Christ, and Helen of Troy were filmed here!

In our lectures this week we learned about the Italian role in WWII and had the opportunity to have a question and answer session about current European and Italian issues. In history, when learning about Italy and Rome, the main focus always seems to go back to ancient times. However, Italy plays other important roles in history. WWII and the more recent issues have always been of higher interest to me, so I really enjoyed these lectures. My favorite was hearing about WWII from Marco Antonini. It was such a unique opportunity to hear from someone who saw the war, reactions to the war, and war damages first-hand. I cannot imagine experiencing and living through something like WWII. His stories are so interesting and we were lucky to be able to hear them!
Sooner, rather than later, we will all be back in the States and will go about our busy, chaotic American lives, but I hope that we can remember the Italian ways and stop to smell the roses of life during our busy days!
Arrivederci,
-Susan Waggoner

This week we went on a unique field trip, unlike anything we have done so far during our time in Italy.  It was enchanting, rich with history, and provided picturesque scenery in every direction that you could look.  We visited the Ninfa Gardens.  When you first arrive, it appears to be an average park that you could find anywhere in the world, but once you step farther within, that idea is quickly shattered by the beauty that surrounds you.
The gardens are set up in a way in which it appears that everything is natural and untouched by man.  Patches of green grass, flowers blooming in every color of the rainbow, and streams full of crystal clear water are dispersed in every direction.  Once I took a second to look closer, I realized that the incredible detail put into the Ninfa Gardens could only be possible through countless hours of work to make sure that every acre stays picture perfect.  I cannot even imagine the amount of lawn care that is required to keep the grass cut, the weeds pulled, and the plants trimmed.  The gardens do not have many paths made from dirt or gravel.  The paths are mostly grass paths, which adds to the image of natural beauty that they are trying to achieve.
We had a guided tour of the grounds.  The tour allowed us to learn more about the history of the gardens, which also includes the ruins of an ancient town left behind.  We were able to walk inside the ruins of a church with some frescoes still left on the walls.  We also learned that the water in the streams is so clean that you can drink it.  We took turns filling up our water bottles and enjoying the cold water during our walk; this was a unique experience that I had never had before.
This experience was one of my favorite moments of the trip because the beauty found here is so different from what we are normally surrounded by during our travels around Italy.  It was a much needed relaxing journey through history and scenery that will stay captured in our memories forever.
-Leah Carey

This trip has been the trip of a lifetime! I have enjoyed the fact that the Joseph S. Bruno program provides students with a chance to gain a diverse perspective on Italian culture and lifestyle. The thing that is so unique about studying abroad with this program is that lectures and tours are interdisciplinary. They apply to all of the students involved, whether you are an HDFS major or a finance major, one can always discover something new. To be able to have a presentation or a lecture about Bernini is one thing, but then to actually see, understand, and in a sense have an emotional connection with the subject is another. The places that I have traveled to and studied with the program are unique. We visit places that I never would have dreamed of getting to visit. Whether Volunteering at Caritas, a homeless shelter in Rome, wandering through the one of the most romantic gardens in Europe, climbing to the top of the dome at St. Peter’s Basilica, or joining your friends on a weekend trip to Cinque Terre, there is always something exciting to see. I have noticed that studying abroad has not only strengthened me from an educational standpoint, but has also broadened my horizons socially and culturally. It is so unique to say that at one point in my life I lived in Italy with people that have inspired me and have changed my life in such a positive way. I have grown closer to friends and have met new ones along the way. I am so excited to have these people in my life and say that we all exploring this amazing adventure together. I am so happy to be a part of the Chigi family!
– Jessica Been
 

As stated by Professor Linda on Monday, “the best is yet to come;” and last night proved just that. After a full day of classes, we girls had a chance to get all dressed up and participate in a traditional part of Italian culture, the opera. We were all very excited to see what exactly operas entailed as we sat down to watch the show, Maometto II.
The story is set in the 1470s during a time of war between the Turks and the Venetians and portrays the story of lost love, love for your country, and love for family. I was very quickly amazed by the performers’ abilities to make something so difficult look so easy. None were wearing microphones and even from the third level of the theatre, each note could be heard perfectly.
After the show, we discussed our thoughts on the opera. As we discussed, it reminded me of the famous Pretty Woman quote that Professor Linda had shown us just that morning. It reads:
“People’s reactions to opera the first time they see it is very dramatic; they either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don’t, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul.”
Although some liked the opera more than others, I believe that we all walked away with an appreciation for that part of Italian culture as well as an appreciation for the performers’ talents.

Allie Chapman

Before coming abroad, girls who had previously been on this trip had given me some special advice for the program. One of the tips that I always kept in the back of my head was, “Save money for Florence! They have a LEATHER MARKET!!” So of course all the girls, including me, did just that.
We first visited the leather school in Florence and watched the very talented artisans at work. We were able to observe them actually sew stitching on the leather for a future handbag, put buckles on the handbags, and even brand it with gold to make it more personal. The woman who gave us the tour, who also happens to work there, went into deep detail on the different types of leather and what different animals are used to make a product. After we finished up at the school, and bought a few souvenirs from there, we headed out to the actual leather market on the streets. The leather market can be spotted from miles away with the hundreds of white tents lining the streets. Behind them also are MORE shops with even MORE leather! Most of us stuck to the tents and were bombarded with the workers throwing purses or wallets or jackets in our faces. If we even stopped for a second to glance at something, they would come up to us and hand it to us as if we already agreed to purchase it. It was overwhelming to say the least, but enjoyable as well because it is all part of the experience. One of the best parts of the market was that I could BARGAIN! If they threw a price at me that was not in my budget, I could bargain with them and get them to lower it. Typically, they let us get away with a couple bucks cheaper than the original price. If we were really lucky though, you may even get the price down 10 or 15 euro!
Overall, our leather experience in Florence was great. It was so interesting to learn about the making of leather and the process of putting together a handbag – especially for those girls who are majoring in fashion.
By: Mary Briggs

Yesterday our field trip led us back into Rome, and we were finally able to see the famous Chigi chapel along with the chains of St. Peter. Knowing that we would be seeing these sights, we had a palace movie night with Mrs. Linda and watched Angels and Demons. After reading the book and watching the movies, each time we saw a sight from the movie we would all freak out and yell “That was in Angels and Demons!” (Like the loud Americans that we are!)
We also went back to Vatican City, except this time to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. We had visited St. Peter’s Basilica at the beginning of the semester, but this part of the trip was saved for later!
Leading up to our trip heard lectures by multiple experts, including Emilio Del Gesso who gave us a brief explanation on the art and sculptures that we were going to see. This was extremely helpful, because the typical tourist would just walk past these things unable to admire their beauty and importance. Emilio also served as our tour guide for the day. (Thank goodness because no ten to fifteen Expert and Reminder facts could prepare us for the beauty and sheer size of the Vatican museum and the Sistine chapel.)
The tour was nothing short of incredible. However, I feel confident saying that the actual chapel was everyone’s favorite part. The vast amount of frescoes covering the walls and ceilings were breathtaking. It was hard to wrap your head around the fact that we were standing in the middle of one of Michelangelo’s greatest masterpieces.
We were finally able to understand why people came from all over the world to see this spectacle. Each and every time we see these sights, I think to myself how lucky we are to spend three months of our life living with this in our backyard!

Sending our love from Palazzo Chigi,
Sarah Delly

During our midterm break we jumped from Paris, London, and to Dublin. In ten days, my group saw the Eiffel Tower being lit up at night, the Louvre when it was free, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Dublin readying itself for St. Patrick’s Day.
For our first excursion, we traveled to Paris at five o’clock in the morning. Some of us thought this was a good idea, having the belief of spending more time there. However, we all struggled with the four a.m. wake up call that was before roosters crow. Although we were all exhausted, we enjoyed our first night in Paris by going to the Eiffel Tower. Words could not properly express how beautiful the Eiffel Tower was at night and how much our little group enjoyed our time there.
On our next stop, we went to London. It was interesting to go from learning different languages to function in other countries and then to our minds to relax with English. Buckingham Palace was crowded when I visited with tourists and locals alike. My personal highlight from London was getting to see old friends and eat amazing Anatolian food with some girls in our group. I have not eaten that much delicious food abroad since our Welcome Dinner to Italy.
After four busy days of touring London, our group took a rest in Dublin. One morning we traveled several hours away to visit the Cliffs of Moher. I have never been particularly fond of heights, but I loved viewing the ocean with the extreme beauty of the cliffs.
Although ten days was not a sufficient amount of time to properly see any of those places, I have memories to enjoy for the rest of my life with people I will never forget.
~Katie Thompson

This week has been a week of quiet, unlike the usual go, go, go, we are so used to here in Ariccia, Italy.  With our usual weeks laced with class lectures and field trips that take us to magical places and the occasional wine tasting, this week marks the time where we slow down to work on our journals.  A week dedicated to reading, writing, and printing off pictures.  A good amount of glue, scissors and working pens are all one needs to complete this journal.
Our journals are a collection of all the places we have gone, all the activities we have done and all the cherished moments we want to bring back to America, from the Pantheon in Rome to the aperitivo we hosted.  Because this semester abroad flies by, it is important to keep a detailed journal with facts, pictures, reflection essays and responses to everything that we have experienced.
When we first arrived in Italy, our teacher explained that our trip would be like trying to drink from a fire hydrant.  With so much coming at us in such a short period of time, our journals help us absorb so much more about the places we are visiting.  The journals allow for constant learning and growth while we are here. With the hope that in years to come we will be able to look back on our amazing experiences and bring them back to life by flipping through our thick, black journals.
–Carlyle MacPhail