I'm overly nervous about the language barrier. I've been told most Italians, especially Romans, speak English so I won't have a problem. But I also wish I wouldn’t look like a dazed American tourist with no regard for the culture of the people whose lives I am visiting. I hope to pick up a few Italian phrases before I leave, but I've been saying that for months and haven't done anything about it, though I have the best intentions.
I'll be taking Italian I while I'm in Rome, which I'm excited for. I know it will be extremely useful to know the basics, and I'm hoping I'll pick the language up easier while immersed in it. I’ve never been terrible at learning languages, but I’m definitely not the kind of person who can instantly pick up languages.
I'll be taking Italian II back at NU in the fall, I'm excited to learn about the culture, and continue my Italian language training after I leave. It will give me even more of an incentive to absorb all of the language I can while in the country.
The other class I'll be taking is Ancient Monuments of Rome. It's an architecture class, two mornings a week. Most days the class meets at a historic site, and we learn about the history and architecture of the monument we’ve already read up on. I'm really excited about it. I've never even thought about taking an architecture class before, I know absolutely nothing about the subject. If I'm going to learn about architecture, what better place to do it than Rome, right? I think seeing these sights with a professor will be a better way to learn about the history of the city than scanning a paragraph or two in my guidebook.
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