The moments in life that make you step out of your comfort zone; are ultimately the moments that will define you.  In only 36 hours I will catch a flight to go study abroad in a foreign country for four months! It is surreal to even think about it.

Whats up everybody! My name is Mateo Toro, a sophomore studying international business at Penn State Berks.  I will be attending my entire spring semester in Milan, Italy.  It’s still a concept I am trying to solidify in my mind before I leave, but I am excited to immerse in a new culture.

I am a commuter student at Penn State Berks, so unlike most other college students; I still live at home.  The fact that I will be in a different continent, around a different culture, learning a new language, can be a scary idea to others, but I am excited for what this adventure will bring. This will be the first time I am living on my own, so there is many things I will have to get the grasp of quickly.  But I am a optimistic person and feel confident in being able to adapt quickly, meet new people, and learn from the new culture I will be around.

My main objective while I am studying abroad is to be the most efficient with my time that I have ever been in my entire life.  Bold statement. Let me explain.  I want to wake up early and go to sleep late every single day of my trip. I do not want to waste a single minute in Milan.  As a college student it is imperative you are great at managing your time, in order to get the best grades and still carry on a normal human in life.  It would be amazing if I could get my classwork done as early as possible while Im out there, that way I can travel, meet new people, discover the wonders of Europe, and not come home with any regrets.

Im ready to embark on this journey and I will be sharing as much as I can with these posts.  I will be taking an enormous amounts of pictures since I will be taking a photography course while overseas and I will post them on my Facebook page, and I also will upload videos on my Youtube page.  So whether you are a prospective study abroad student or family member I hope you enjoy these posts.  They will only get better as the more I immerse myself in Italy!

See you all soon! Ciao!

Location: Reading, PA