Submitted by Sheila Ward on the 2013 fall semester program in London, England…
This past weekend, I ventured over to Genoa, Italy which is one of the biggest port cities in Italy. The coastline was absolutely beautiful and the food, of course, was delicious. I, however, was shocked to find how old the city of Genoa actually is. There were few, if any, modern buildings and some of the architecture looked like it was falling apart, but I guess that’s how Italy is. Italians have such pride in their history. So why would they want to change the layout of their cities that reflect their past?
I should have realized that since Genoa is not a major tourist attraction in Italy most people living there do not speak English. It was almost scary that ordering food or asking for directions became so difficult to do. Thankfully, one of my friends I was traveling with, knew a little Italian so we relied on her to translate everything. However, my weekend in Genoa was well worth it. I got to see the Mediterranean Sea, eat good food, and explore a new city.
This coming week mid-term assignments are due which is starting to get stressful. You definitely need to learn to balance traveling and enjoying your time abroad with classes. I personally feel it’s not too hard though. I try to get the majority of my assignments done during the week so I can enjoy my weekend. Then when I return home on Sunday, I can relax and put the finishing touches on anything I did not finish. I also like that most of my classes assign papers instead of tests. It is definitely easier to get a paper done then to sit down and study especially when you’re abroad.