Pre-departure Essay: Embarking on a New Journey

This entire experience still doesn’t feel quite real. I’m about to live in Italy for the next 3.5 months, and everything still feels normal, as if I’ll be returning to campus like all my other friends will be this weekend. However, I won’t be. As my friends sit in their first classes of the semester, I’ll be soaring into the sky on my way into the unknown. Am I excited? Of course. Do I know what to expect? Barely. And that makes me nervous. As someone who doesn’t like the unknown, I’ve been putting aside planning this entire semester out. Now, my final days have been spent reflecting on the past and thinking about how my life is about change. I know I’m ready to embark on this new and exciting journey. Now it’s just a matter of believing it’s real and getting ready to have my entire world rocked.

The one main personal goal that I've set for my time abroad is to appreciate and immerse myself in Italian culture. This will be my second time visiting Italy, the first time being back in the summer of 2015, and this time around, I want to throw myself into and learn how Italians live. I want to say "yes" to as many opportunities as I can to visit different cultural sites and, of course, try as many new foods as possible. This time around will be different than when I visited in 2015 because not only will I be staying for longer than a week, but I'll be in a foreign country without my family, which will be an entirely new experience in itself. Given these circumstances, I'd like to create a warm and friendly environment for myself like I first felt when I visited Italy. Alongside the culture, I also want to learn more about my heritage and visit my cousins in Naples. I'm half Korean and half Italian, so I'd love to see all the places and sites I've heard about growing up from my father and my relatives. Studying abroad in Florence will be the perfect way to immerse myself in my heritage as well as see what life is like outside of the United States.

I expect that studying abroad in Florence will be profoundly different than attending school in Syracuse. One thing I know for sure is that the weather will be way more beautiful in Florence than it will be on the main campus. I think the most significant difference for me will be not having a close group of friends to hang out with all the time. This past semester I joined Phi Sigma Pi, the National Honor Fraternity, and made so many new friendships. Leaving campus in December was hard for me because it meant not seeing a lot of my friends until August. Although two of my best friends will also be studying abroad in Florence, I think one of the most significant impacts on me will be missing my friends. When I'm at Syracuse, I love spending time with them no matter the occasion, whether it be studying at Bird Library for an exam or just hanging out at someone's house and ordering food. To me, they're what make up my home away from home. While I'm excited to have a change of scenery, it feels like I'll be losing that little part of my family. I know I'll make plenty of friends abroad, but as for right now, that'll be a big difference to me.

As for my familiarity with Italy and the culture, I would say that I have a little more than the bare minimum of knowledge on the country. The last time I was in Italy was in 2015, and during that time, I visited Rome, Florence, and Naples. I learned the most about the culture when I visited my family in Naples and toured around the city with my Uncle Vinny, who then worked as a tour guide. We visited several different monuments and locations and ate at delicious restaurants. I got to see the apartment building where my entire family lives and get a glimpse into their everyday lives. Besides my vacation to Italy, I'm also immersed in the culture here in the United States as well. For all the holidays, my family and I usually spend them with my dad's side of the family, where food plays a significant role in the festivities. Pasta and bread is always the star of the show as well as many Italian desserts. These two experiences, traveling to Italy and Italian culture at home, are where most of my knowledge comes from. As for the history or political issues of Italy, I mostly received all my information from my high school history classes or reading news outlets, but still, it's pretty minimal. Since I'll be living in Italy for the next 3.5 months, I think it's essential that I'm aware of the culture outside of tradition and food, so I'll be sure to research and get a basic understanding of what the climate is before I depart.

To get a better understanding of Italy, I plan on consulting the Internet about Italy, or I'll directly ask my Italian relatives for advice. During the past few weeks, I've looked at countless articles and videos about living in Italy. I've been tracking the weather since November, and I even made wise decisions for my Christmas presents this year, asking for recommended items that people who previously studied abroad suggested. I've also been asking my family for advice on how to travel and the best places to eat. My Uncle Vinny even offered to give my friends and me a tour of Naples if we were to visit. So far, I feel moderately prepared for leaving on Monday and now it's just a matter of getting all the smaller things together.

Overall, I'm super excited to begin this new and exciting chapter in my life. Although it still doesn't feel quite real, I'm always aware of what a fantastic opportunity this is to be able to live abroad for this long. This uncharted territory is going to be a challenge, but I know I'll be able to get through it.

Bon voyage!

Sincerely,

Sam ❤