The Anticipation of Italy: Will Reality Meet Expectations?

Hello everyone!

Welcome to my very first blog for my Maymester Study Away to Italy! I'm Amanda Nesbitt, and I am currently a first year engineering student hoping to go into Chemical Engineering with a minor in Art History. I am so excited to celebrate finishing my first year of college by visiting Italy, but I'm even more excited to document and share this experience with you all.

Although I am an engineering major, I have deep passions for art and art history. The reason I was interested in this Italy Maymester was because of its combination of STEM and the Arts. Leonardo da Vinci's legacy rests between mathematics and design, which is precicely where my brain likes to live as well. This semester, I am taking an Italian Renaissance Art class, and I am so thrilled to see all of the architecture, artworks, and inspirations that I learned about in class come to life in Italy.

In addition to my academic excitement, I am excited to meet new people and eat some amazing food! With only ten students on this Maymester trip, I know the bonds we will make with each other will be strong and long-lasting. Italian food is also known to be amazing, and I know eating with others will be multiple highlights of this trip.

I have been to Italy once, when I was 7. My family and I went to Florence and Rome, but I was more focused on the food more than the art and history. My new perspective towards the arts will allow me to view Italy in a way I didn't when I was younger, which is exhilarating.

Since I have been signed up for this Study Away for months now, my expectations for Italy have only continued to rise. In my art history class, we continue to learn about gorgeous architecture that's still standing or breathtaking artworks on display in Italian museums. The more I learn about, the more beautiful I expect Italy to be. A fear I have, however, is that I will be too focused on taking pictures of these artworks that I neglect viewing them for the beauty they are. In de Botton's essay The Art of Travel, he notes how photography allows people to overlook small, beautiful elements of the world because taking pictures is so easy. I worry that this Maymester will be so fast-paced that I forget to take a step back and enjoy it.

The vacation to Le Cinque Terre is what I am mainly looking forward to. Not only did some of the girls arrange Airbnbs for us, but a break from our studies will be relaxing. I also have a deep connection to the water, so I am very glad that our vacation is going to be in a fishing village. I expect this to be one of the most bonding parts of the trip.

The Italy I imagine in my head is primarily just Florence, as that is where I visited when I was younger and is the city my art history class focuses on. I have no clue what to expect from Milan or Venice, other than beautiful architecture and more great food. I do wonder how transportation will be in Venice since the roads are all waterways.

I expect this trip to be jam-packed with history, art, culture, and laughter in the best way possible. Even though blisters will probably appear on my ankles, I expect each day to be filled with amazing memories I will never forget.