Author Archives: anh5218

La Dolce Vita

Some people think of the film set in Rome when they hear this phrase, but this past weekend I came to associate it with my experiences in the Italian countryside. I’m studying abroad on a program through Arcadia University, and on Saturday September 15, they took us to a local farm for an orientation and truly unique cultural opportunity. Luckily, the weather was nice, and combined with the beautiful surroundings, it made for a great day!

We went to the Orsini farm on the banks of Lake Trasimeno in Umbria, Italy. Three generations of the family live and work on the farm, which is an integral part of Italy’s slow food movement. As the name suggests, slow food is the opposite of fast food and everything we were served that day was grown, harvested, and cooked on the farm. Needless to say everything was so fresh and delicious. After we had a discussion about culture shock we went into the fields to help the Orsini family and some of their neighbors with the first grape harvest of the fall. It was so awesome to be able to clip grapes from the branches alongside local Italians, and it was also very nice to be able to eat some of the grapes while we picked them:) They were very delicious!

I’d rather show you through some pictures what the day was like, so I just want to wrap up by saying how grateful I am that I was able to participate in a true Italian cultural tradition. The Orsini family was so nice to open their home to us and serve us delicious food, and I will never forget the insights I gained into true, traditional Italian culture that day.

Location: Lago Trasimeno, Umbria

My First Trip in Italy

This past weekend (Sept. 7-9) I went on a trip to the sunny Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy with my Institute in Perugia. We went to Pompei, Sorrento, Capri, and Napoli, and were busy doing and seeing different things everyday. The nice part about the trip was that the staff planned all the travel and accommodations for us, and even booked some tours in Pompei and Napoli so I didn’t have to worry about planning so much. However, we always had free time in each of the cities to explore and do our own thing, and that independent part of the trip was where I learned a lot more about living abroad and about how I have adapted so far.

View of a street in Pompei, the city destroyed by the volcano was so much bigger than I thought it would be.

My first lesson was that I’m not as good at packing for trips as my mom:) I did a good job of packing light, fitting all my stuff for three days into a backpack and purse, but I forgot many important items like sunscreen, a waterproof pouch for when we went to the beach, extra clothes, etc. So hopefully the next trip I go on I’ll be more prepared.

Capri was by far my favorite place and was also the only city where we were on our own for the entire time. In the beginning it was very stressful trying to find our way around this new place with little direction or guidance. I went with a group of students on a boat tour of the Grotta Azzurra, which is a grotto in Italy where the water is so blue and lit from underneath by the sun’s rays. It was neat and very pretty, but definitely overpriced. After the boat ride we wanted to grab lunch at a grocery store we had heard was cheap, but after asking for directions in broken Italian we found out we were actually very far away from the center of Capri and would either have to walk uphill for at least 30 min. or take the cable car. I’m glad we took the cable car because it was much faster and provided a beautiful view of the coastal town.

After lunch we were all so hot that we decided to look for the beaches on the opposite side of the island, which were supposed to be a little less crowded with tourists. Again, after wandering on our own and occasionally stopping to ask and make sure we were heading in the right direction, we found the beach. The water felt so nice, but the beach was very rocky and was still pretty crowded so we decided to leave and meet up with a boy from our group who had gone off on his own to look for a more secluded place to get into the water. In order to access the secluded rocks on the coastline another girl and I had to climb down a very steep hill without a path and cross under a gate with a sign that said “danger falling rocks.” The trek was well worth it though! The water was such a pretty, clear blue and very warm. Also, because of its somewhat difficult access, the only other people around were Italians who lived on the island so we got to swim with them and experience a small piece of their culture without any interference from other tourists:)

I learned so much from this little adventure in Capri. I was reminded once again how lost you can feel sometimes in a country where you only know a little bit of the language. Also, I came to appreciate exploring in a small group away from lots of other tourists because the sights you can see become so much more enjoyable! Overall, I was really happy with how the trip turned out:)

Location: Italy

Arriving in Perugia

Ciao a tutti!

Benvenuto a Perugia! I arrived in Perugia, Italy on Friday, August 31st, and by Saturday I was moved into my apartment with my four roommates. Everyday has been so busy; taking in the sights and buying needed items and groceries for the apartment, that sometimes it feels like I have been here much longer than just a few days. So far Perugia has lived up to its reputed hilltop beauty, but the brilliant panoramic views and winding, narrow, cobblestoned streets come at the price of walking uphill most of the day. The workout however will probably be needed to counterbalance my new diet here in Italy. All the food I have had over the last few days has been delicious (except the dinners my roommates and I have tried to cook so far-we’re still learningJ)!

Even though I have loved being able to soak in the sounds, sights, and smells of my new home in Italy, a concept I have not been fully able to accept yet, I have still experienced a few differences in daily life between Italy and America, some very inconvenient or frustrating. Upon landing at the airport in Rome I was so thirsty I immediately bought a water bottle and drank it greedily, but a second later I almost spit it out. Due to misreading the bottle label, I had ended up buying mineral water, which is a very common drink throughout Europe, but which I personally think tastes disgusting. Needless to say, I quickly learned to look for the word naturale rather than frizzante the next time I bought water. Speaking of water, I have also had to abandon the notion that water will be free in restaurants and other places, because in Italy they charge for water. To my frustration I also learned that some stores will charge you for putting the items you bought into a regular brown paper bag!

More significant differences that my American roommates and I have had to adjust to include sorting our trash by type: organic, paper, or cans and bottles, putting them in different colored bags, and leaving them outside of the apartment everyday according to which designated trash pick-up type it is. Also, while shopping for apartment supplies and groceries we have sorely missed the convenience and accessibility of Wal-Mart, an equivalent to which we have not yet found in Perugia. Instead, we have to buy towels at one store, certain groceries at one market, fresh produce at another, and we have still not found certain items like hair dryers and other essentials. However, this kind of scattered shopping is typical to daily life in Italy, and I am slowly learning to adjust my habits and preconceptions accordingly. I am excited for all the new possibilities and experiences I’ll have once I feel more comfortable with my new daily routines in Perugia.

Alla prossima!

Location: Perugia, Italy

Prologue

Hi,

my name is Alexandra Haeusser, and this is my GeoBlog, which I will use to document and reflect on my experiences before, during, and after my study abroad program to Perugia, Italy, in Fall 2012. I want to welcome and thank all of my readers for tuning in to my stories and hope they’ll be exciting for you to read like they’ll be for me to experience!

Some brief background on me…

I just finished my sophomore year at Penn State University in the Schreyer Honors College, and look forward to starting my junior year in Italy:) I’m majoring in Secondary Education for English and am a member of Springfield THON and VIPS Tutoring in State College.

And some background on my study abroad program…

I’ll be studying at the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy, through a program run by Arcadia University. While abroad I’ll be taking a lot of literature and writing classes taught in English in order to fulfill requirements for my major. I’ll also be continuing my Italian language studies and look forward to learning more Italian and talking with the locals!

I wanted to keep the first post relatively short, but hopefully I’ll be back soon to reflect on my preparations before I leave August 30. All I can say right now is that there are a lot of things to do, and along with my two summer jobs, they are keeping me very busy:)

On a sweeter note…

Location: Hatfield, PA

Education Abroad GeoBlog

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Author Archives: anh5218

La Dolce Vita

My First Trip in Italy

Arriving in Perugia

Prologue