Anne is a current student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying at Florence University of the Arts in Italy during the Fall 2014 term.

Tell us why you chose to study abroad.
I chose to study abroad because I am very interested in travel, but the biggest part of my decision was because of my sister.  When I was still in high school, my sister studied abroad to Ireland and she absolutely loved it.  Ever since then I knew I wanted to do the same, but I was not sure where I wanted to go.  I was visiting my great aunt one day (who is Italian) and she was telling me about her trip to Italy along with showing me pictures.  I decided right then that I wanted to study abroad in Italy.

Tell us about your school, major, clubs (you in a nutshell).
I attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania where I am majored in Nutrition & Dietetics.  This campus is only 15 minutes away from my home so I am able to commute.  I live in quite a small town called Homer City in Pennsylvania where there is not much going on.  I am one out of nine children, so it is hard to be bored.  I also have a nephew, Mason, who is 18 months old and I am obsessed with.  A few of my interests include food, travel, visiting the beach, reading, walking, tea, coffee, kayaking, horseback riding, and more.

What are you most excited about studying abroad?
I would say I am mostly excited about just experiencing Italy.  I have never actually been outside of the country, unless you count Canada before you needed a passport to enter the country, so I am really excited to get a first impression of what it is like.  My family is full of travelers and they tell me about how great Europe is so I cannot wait to see for myself.  Also, I am really excited to try the food!  I definitely have an Italian appetite; I love my pasta and bread.  It seems that preparation methods in the United States are a lot different than other parts of the world so I am excited to see what that is like as well.

What are you most nervous about studying abroad?
My biggest fear about going to Italy is the language barrier.  I have never taken an Italian language course so it will be all new to me.  To prepare for my trip I am trying to familiarize some Italian words.  Also, I will be taking an Italian language class in Italy so I am sure that will help as well.

What are three goals that you would like to achieve/accomplish while abroad?
I am actually making a list of all the places in Italy/Europe I would like to visit, so I hope I am able to travel to all them by the time I come home.  Also, I hope that I can learn to just relax and not work in a fast pace all of the time.  I hope to come home less anxious than before I leave.  The third goal I hope to achieve is that I learn something I did not know about myself or have a new outlook on life.