Hi friends!

I am a mere thirteen days away from my departure date for my summer study abroad trip to Italy! I will be over there for six weeks, and I will be studying Roman Art and Architecture as well as Art History on Site with twenty-four other students and faculty members from the University of North Florida Department of Art and Design. Throughout our trip, we will visit the port city of Ostia Antica, Florence, Naples, the hill town of Massa Marittima, and of course, Rome. My art history professor has hooked us up with tickets to literally every museum or art site in each city, and I cannot wait to begin this adventure!

Of course, I am also a bit anxious about this trip because it will be my first time out of the country, not to mention the first time away from my family for that amount of time, but I know I will love it once I get there. The 10-hour overnight international flight is scaring me a little, but I have decided that I will pass the time watching movies from a very long list of movies that I still have not seen and my friends have told me I must see. That is, if I'm not able to fall asleep! Oh, and packing is a thing... And foreign currency and international cell phone plans... but it's okay, I still have time for those things.

The idea to start a blog for my trip struck me a couple weeks ago, but of course since I REALLY should be studying for my TESOL final right now, why not create the blog RIGHT NOW? It's finals week and my brain is fried. I am SO looking forward to spending these six weeks taking a break from the busyness of the school year and studying art history, a subject that I have always loved.

Well, that's the intro to my blog. Stay tuned for more posts and follow me on my journey to Italy! I'll have so many pictures and fun things to share. I wish I could take everyone with me!

Ciao! (I really should also learn some basic Italian... This should be fun!)
Dani