When first arriving in Italy I had no idea what to expect, I had never been to Italy or even Europe so I, always the optimist, hoped to spend a month of leisure and relaxation. I was not given such an opportunity but my experiences learning about the culture of a small town and a variety of media concentrations I had no experience in far surpassed what I could have imagined. I was interested in living in an older city, but I was blessed to stay in a town centuries old, home to one of the oldest universities in the world. I was hoping to meet people from a new place, but I was lucky to make friends with people without speaking the same language as them. I wanted to have the bravery to travel to new places, and I managed to travel hours away on buses and trains despite never using public transportation beforehand, completely alone. I am grateful for all the fun I had and the friends I made, but I will never forget this experience that helped me grow so much. Poor one out for Urbino, Italy, a city of too many hills and electric streets.
University: James Madison University
Major: Media Arts and Design (Digital Video and Cinema)