Submitted by Gianna Lorusso on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Finance and the Department of English…
When I was preparing to travel abroad, I became hesitant about my tendency to be a very picky eater. I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I wanted nothing to hold me back. As I was packing my suitcase, I decided that the one thing I truly needed to leave home was my picky eating habits. Italy is known as the best cuisine in the world, and I knew that I loved my family’s Italian foods. I wanted to enter the program with an open mind.
As we traveled throughout Italy from Tuscany to Rome, I am proud to say that I have gone out of my comfort zone to try so many new foods. From different cheeses to Tuscan bread soups, I have loved most of every dish I have been served.
We recently had a free weekend, and we decided to go to the city of Bologna. Bologna is known for its amazing cuisine, and I am so glad that I was able to try and appreciate new foods. Bologna is famous for its Bolognese sauce, and I had to try it in Bologna, of course! I ordered it with special tortellini, and it was one of my favorite meals this entire program. We also tried an authentic bruschetta that was unlike anything I have had before.
I am glad that I overcame my habit of being a picky eater because I have been enjoying everything this program has to offer. I would have left with so many regrets if I did not scoop every option onto my plate at restaurants; the Italian cuisine is truly one of the best in the world! This is just one of the many ways that traveling to Italy has forced me to come out of my comfort zone, and I will definitely bring my open mind about food back to the United States with me.
