Entry #1

I think that the thing that will be the hardest about this study abroad experience is the fact that I won't be able to communicate with anyone at all for at least the first little bit of time. I don't have any Italian experience at all and the one thing that I can do is understand at least a littlbe bit of what is being said but I can't respond to it so that is a little bit intimidating and frightening but I am sure I will learn, hopefully pretty quickly. I am sure that the host family will be wonderful though, I know people who have done host family study abroad things and it has all worked out really well so I have no reason to expect that mine will be any different. I do wonder if they will speak English though. I am really looking forward to seeing Siena! We have some family friends who have been there and everything that I have heard is that it is beautiful and abosultely amazing so I am really excited to get to see it for myself. I think that it will be hardest for me to learn all the little details of the language, I tend to pick up languages relatively eaisly and quickly as far as understanding and basic communication go but then it is hard to get all the details down since those are what make it so you don't sound like an American imitating an Italian. Overall I am a little nervous about not being able to communicate at all but in general I am really excited to get to be something more than just a tourist in Europe!