A photo of me in front of the Eiffel Tower!
Author: Katelyn White | Major: Exercise Science | Semester: Summer 2023
Hi, my name is Katelyn White, and I am a part of the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. I am majoring in Exercise Science! The program I studied abroad through this summer is CIMBA Italy through the University of Iowa. I visited and stayed in Paderno del Grappa, Italia for the Summer 2023 (May 15-June 9)!
I honestly do not know where to begin on all that I have learned. Italy is just such an incredible country with an enriching culture and language. I have always wanted to study abroad in Italy, and this program came up on my radar! I chose CIMBA Italy because I knew a lot of people who raved about how life-changing and incredible their experience was through their program. I reached out to them and talked more about why they loved the program, and long-story-short, they convinced me to jump right in to summer abroad! This program and studying abroad in general advances my academic and professional goals in so many ways. One being that I now know a good amount of Italian and I know a lot about Greek mythology. This has helped me when I stayed in Italy a week longer than my program lasted and while I was there a week extended, I went to Rome with both of my parents. Knowing both some of the Italian language as well as knowing a lot about Greek mythology helped me communicate as well as understand what is in front of me in art museums (because there are a great number of Greek mythology art and sculptures in Italy).
Academics-wise, the courses I took during my abroad experience was even better that I imagined. The classes I took were “Italy Live” (Italian Language) and “Classical Greek Mythology”. Both classes were incredible. The instructors were out of this world amazing and knowledgeable. It was obvious that they loved teaching us about what they love. It makes the studying much more enjoyable when the instructors make the class a great learning environment. In both classes we were able to go on excursions during our longer afternoon classes to places to learn more hands-on. In my Italy Live class, for example, we went to a nearby village named Asolo to practice ordering gelato in Italian. In Greek mythology, we went to multiple museums and villas to look at artwork of Greek mythology. These classes differ from those at the University of Arkansas because it is different and enriching learning about a country while being in the country. Learning Italian was much more motivating and practical because we both want to learn it (since we are living there for a month) and it is much easier to learn a language when you practice it daily.
The Italian culture is so special and just simply incredible. The food of course is great, but the culture that comes with the food is even more wholesome. Food in Italy brings people together. Friends and family enjoy meals together on the daily here. Their lunch breaks are around 1-2 hours so they can go out have a meal with coworkers then get back to work after. I never realized how fast-paced the U.S. is until I came to Italy. When my friends and I went out for a meal, no one rushed us. In fact, they wanted us to stay as long as we wanted because meals there aren’t about efficiency and time, it’s about the conversations you have with people and the laughter and smiles the food of the restaurant brings to the people eating there. It was very inspiring and a great change of pace. I enjoyed the long meals and the fun times because a lot of my fondest memories were at a table eating a meal for a lot longer than we are used to! The servers and restaurant owners always made us feel so special and always thanked us for coming and enjoyed the food of the restaurant. The art in Italy is also breathtaking. Not only in museums and famous artwork, but also on the streets. The local artists and painters are so talented. I personally bought a small painting every place I visited in Italy. I just love art so much, because the culture and the artist shine through in the way they picture the world and the city they live in. Specifically, the artist that my father bought a large painting from was very kind and sincere. He allowed us to take a picture of him with the painting, so I am sure he wouldn’t mind me sharing what a wonderful painter he is!
Local Artist in Venice!
In conclusion to this blog post, I would, without a doubt, recommend this program to other students. Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that everyone should experience if able. To have such a rich learning environment while being immersed in the culture is so special and life changing. I will say, I wish I knew that the classes while studying abroad were not easy ones. You will definitely need to study during the week and pay attention in class, but I learned so much this way. The first thing I am going to do when I get home is sleep for as long as I want, eat Chick-Fil-A with a Diet Dr. Pepper, and make a scrapbook of all my new life-long memories! Thank you, CIMBA Italy, for the summer of a lifetime!