Ciao,
Week 2 has officially come to an end and before we start on week 3, I want to recap some of the amazing and self-growth experiences I have faced during the past week.
This week I have gotten a lot more involved in my marine internship, taking charge and starting to participate in surveying of blenning populations in Baia di Ireanto. I even had the privilege to present two PowerPoint to the Sant'Anna Marine Biology class about Baia di Ireanto and the type of research we conduct at the bay. It was great showing my friends my personal experience in the internship and sharing my knowledge with them.
Outside of my internship, we also got to visit Herculaneum with the UF class, which has been my favorite excursion on the trip! It was super fun learning about the history and actually visiting the ruins discovered after being buried after the eruption of Pompeii. I enjoyed learning about the history and the cultural aspects of their daily life, especially when we look at how Roman Power = Male Power during the time and how this was displayed culturally through sexual imagery. Here are some photos I collected for the scavenger hunt in Herculaneum!
Aside from the amazing experiences I have had within my internship and classes, I have also begun to feel more comfortable living abroad and have gotten to connect with the culture on a more personal level. Whether it was going to the local pub to watch the final football game (Go Spain!) or connecting with locals of nearby cafes, I have begun to really build my own personal experience and life in Sorrento.
One of my biggest accomplishments is getting more comfortable adding Italian vocabulary into my everyday conversations, even if it is a simple greeting and phrase to connect with the locals. Learning "no parlo Italiano" has been my most useful phrase as of yet, but I have also learned that many locals also speak Spanish very well which has helped myself to feel more connected rather than crossing the language barrier through having to speak English.
I feel that the most important aspect of my trip so far is my grit and motivation to go below the surface of the cultural iceberg and really dive deep into the unique cultural experience this program gives me. While being able to visit these famous cities like Rome or Capri can still sound appealing, I have decided to really dive into the local culture by discovering more of Sorrento and hopefully planning an overnight trip to discover more of Napoli than I was able to in our previous excursion.
I am very happy with the amazing experiences I have had thus far in my study abroad program and with only 19 days left, I am excited to see what else is left in store.
Arrivederci!
Bianca
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