Erin Byrnes

Pre-Departure Jitters

As you may know, I’m going to be spending the next five weeks in Sorrento, Italy to study abroad. I’ve been there before as a college freshman, for a one-week program, but this time, I’ll be going to Rome with a few friends five days before the program starts. I’m excited to go early and adjust to the time difference and the culture. However, I’ve never traveled out of the country with only a few friends before, so I am a bit nervous. 

I’ve been busy making plans to make the most of my time in Italy. Over the last couple months, I’ve been extremely cautious about spending money to make sure I don’t come back to the U.S. completely broke. Homesickness is also something I’m nervous about because this will be the longest I’ve been out of the country. My plan is to really immerse myself in the culture and find things I enjoy about Italy that I won’t find at home. Since I’ve been to Sorrento before, I do feel some pressure to know what I’m doing in terms of travel and getting around once we get there. Last time, the plane ride was a little rough for me but I did remember to buy melatonin so I could sleep through it. Overall, I knew I’d feel better once I got through customs and made it to Rome. I’ve never been to Rome before so I knew it would be a change of pace from the quiet cliff sides and beaches of Sorrento. 

A Detour in Rome

Upon arriving in Rome, I joined my friends for five days before the official study abroad program began. We were greeted with busy streets, Cathedrals, and over 300 fountains. Some of the tours we had planned were an electric bike tour and of course, the Vatican. 

I was excited to see the historic buildings dating back to 125 A.D. and the outside of the Colosseum. 

What to Expect

What I’m most excited about is the food. I’ve talked about how Italian culture prioritizes the quality of ingredients in my last post, and I’ll be revisiting that topic during my time in Sorrento. I’ve been to Europe a couple times before, and you really can taste the difference in quality of the food. For example, I don’t like to eat pasta in the U.S. because of the texture. However in Italy, the texture is softer and doesn’t take away from the flavors. 

I want to explore how food plays into health and fitness in Italy. In the U.S. there have been many different diet trends and ways to change how you eat that have been harmful in the long run. I want to see if Italy has a diet culture like that; and if not, I want to see how they view food in relation to health, including Covid. I’m also curious to see if their views on food differ by region- including Capri, Naples and Positano. Since Italians are focused on eating locally, certain produce may be more expensive in different parts of Italy. Although we did find Limoncello in Rome, I knew I should wait until I got to Sorrento to buy it because it would be cheaper. Since the food is more locally sourced, there are less chemicals and preservatives in produce and even snack foods (Curinga, 2011). I can’t wait to take you on this journey abroad with me and show how the Italian diet has improved people’s health. 

Sources

https://healthfully.com/375294-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-italian-cuisine.html