Charles was selected as an SAI scholarship recipient and blogger for the Spring 2015 term. He is a current student at the University of Missouri studying at Florence University of the Arts (FUA) in Florence, Italy during the Sprig 2015 term.
Tell us why you chose to study abroad.
I choose to study abroad because I feel I have never truly experienced anything else other than rural Missouri life and I would like to be a part of something totally different. I lived in Martinsburg, a town of only three hundred people, all through childhood until I moved to Columbia to study at the University of Missouri. Columbia is the largest city I have ever lived in and it is pretty small even when compared to the surrounding cities of St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago. Not only have I never experienced true urban life but, I have never been outside of the United States. I want to immerse myself in an entirely different culture complete with its own language. Also, being a history major interested in the Roman Empire as well as the Renaissance Florence seems like the perfect place to go.
I choose to study abroad because I feel I have never truly experienced anything else other than rural Missouri life and I would like to be a part of something totally different. I lived in Martinsburg, a town of only three hundred people, all through childhood until I moved to Columbia to study at the University of Missouri. Columbia is the largest city I have ever lived in and it is pretty small even when compared to the surrounding cities of St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago. Not only have I never experienced true urban life but, I have never been outside of the United States. I want to immerse myself in an entirely different culture complete with its own language. Also, being a history major interested in the Roman Empire as well as the Renaissance Florence seems like the perfect place to go.
Tell us about your school, major, interests, clubs (you in a nutshell).
Like most youth growing up in rural Missouri the University of Missouri has been my dream university since I was a small child. It was only until after moving to Columbia that I realized what a diverse culture Columbia had. As well as having the typical college town atmosphere I also discovered the wide range of music being played everywhere in Columbia. What I fell in love with is the folk music scene. In fact, I currently play bass in a bluegrass group of my own. I also worked as an intern in some of Columbia’s best bars to hear live music. As far as studies, I am a History major focusing on the history of the Italian peninsula mostly focusing on Roman times, but I am very interested to learn about the Renaissance, Discovery Era and 1860s Unification Process as well.
What are you most excited about re. studying abroad?
I am most excited about experiencing a different culture. I have been studying the Italian language for about three semesters now, so hopefully I will be able to get around town on my own. Like I said I have barely experienced life in such a giant city, although I have been to major cities such as St. Louis, Chicago, Washington D.C, and San Diego my stays were not for an extended period of time and I was not able to truly evoke the culture of the towns. I imagine that my experiences in those cities will be dwarfed in comparison to what I am about to partake in. I want to taste and get as much of the local flavor as possible including the cuisine, sports (I really want to see la Viola play at lo Stadio Franchi (the local soccer team and stadium)), and see all the amazing artwork that remains from the Renaissance.
I am most excited about experiencing a different culture. I have been studying the Italian language for about three semesters now, so hopefully I will be able to get around town on my own. Like I said I have barely experienced life in such a giant city, although I have been to major cities such as St. Louis, Chicago, Washington D.C, and San Diego my stays were not for an extended period of time and I was not able to truly evoke the culture of the towns. I imagine that my experiences in those cities will be dwarfed in comparison to what I am about to partake in. I want to taste and get as much of the local flavor as possible including the cuisine, sports (I really want to see la Viola play at lo Stadio Franchi (the local soccer team and stadium)), and see all the amazing artwork that remains from the Renaissance.
What are you most nervous about re. studying abroad?
The thing I am most nervous about is that I won’t do all of those things out of fear. Being a small town kid, I’m afraid that I might find a big city like Florence to be intimidating and may end up just staying in one place all the time. I just need to stay confident in my language abilities keep practicing and remember English is being used as an international second language and although I shouldn’t depend on speaking English (as I really want to test my language abilities) I always can simple ask if anyone knows English then carry on from there.
The thing I am most nervous about is that I won’t do all of those things out of fear. Being a small town kid, I’m afraid that I might find a big city like Florence to be intimidating and may end up just staying in one place all the time. I just need to stay confident in my language abilities keep practicing and remember English is being used as an international second language and although I shouldn’t depend on speaking English (as I really want to test my language abilities) I always can simple ask if anyone knows English then carry on from there.
What are three goals that you would like to achieve/accomplish while abroad?
Three goals I hope to accomplish while studying abroad would be: learn to really speak the Italian language (and if I could the Florentine dialect as well). See as many historically and culturally significant monuments, art works and displays as I can. I would also like to see one game allo Stadio Franchi. I should probably mention doing well in all of my classes but that seems like a given. That being said I look forward to meeting some of you this semester and buon viaggio!
Three goals I hope to accomplish while studying abroad would be: learn to really speak the Italian language (and if I could the Florentine dialect as well). See as many historically and culturally significant monuments, art works and displays as I can. I would also like to see one game allo Stadio Franchi. I should probably mention doing well in all of my classes but that seems like a given. That being said I look forward to meeting some of you this semester and buon viaggio!
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