L'Ultima Settimana

I have kind of been slacking on this blog thing. I have so much that I want to remember and say but every time I get around to posting, I'm either tired or forget everything. So, for the next week I'm going to try to update it as much as I can.

So, this is our last week in Salerno! It's unbelievable how fast the time went but the same happened in Rome and London. A month just isn't long enough to soak in the culture. You get one little taste of what it's like to live abroad then you have to go home. This has really been such a great experience because I have now lived in the northern, central and southern parts of Italy and have developed a pretty well rounded view on the culture of the country. I know that non-profit work isn't going to involve my specific knowledge of Italy but I have definitely noticed a difference between people who have had international experience and those who have not. I've said it many,many times that I love home but my time abroad since I was 10 years old has molded me into who I am and how I want to spent my life after graduation - and Salerno just added to that.

We're rapping up on the grammar in Italian class. I feel like I have learned to speak so much more but the grammar is just a repetition of what I learned at Temple freshman year. It is kind of disappointing that I didn't really learn that much new grammatical skills. This is the my last week, probably for a very long time, that I will ever speak Italian. I have no room in my schedule next semester then I graduate. Kind of crazy..

The culture class has been so interesting too! We're actually learning about real Italy not just textbook Italy. Yesterday we talked about the family structure and today about the media. Their political system is so incredibly messed up - it's hard to understand. A few days ago, Berlusconi called the head of the Italian something of Industrial Engineers a show girl. In the US, that would never happen!! Not to sound ethnocentric but there are standards of politics that are international and it seems like he is exempt from them.

As for the trip itself..I think that I thought that this trip would be more like Rome was. I thought that I would make friends like Kelsey and Ali who would be essentially my rock during the trip. . Literally everyone came here knowing one person except me. Everyone told me before I left that it wouldn't be a problem and reminded me that I found my best friends the same way. Socially, everyone is very nice but still somewhat exclusive. For example, I just found out that there are 6 people in a group for our culture project. There were supposed to be 5 groups of 4 so they would be even. Now, I have to work with one other person because they decided to be a group of 6. Not to whine, but it's not fair. I guess I'm just a little disappointed about that part..

Now I'm at the 'study abroad stage' where I miss home and everyone there but I don't want to leave here! On Saturday, we're going to Rome until Wednesday. Not to sound...ungrateful? but I lived in Rome so I'm not exactly looking forward to those days. And, yes it's sappy, but it's going to be weird to be there without everyone. Hopefully I'll get to show everyone a couple places that we used to go...we'll see.