Mikaila chose to be an SAI blogger for the Spring 2015 term. She is a current student at Belmont University studying at Sant’Anna Institute (SA) in Sorrento, Italy during the Spring 2015 term.

Tell us about your school, major, interests, clubs (you in a nutshell).
I go to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a school known for its music business program, but I’m anything but a musical person. I’m a philosophy and English writing double major with a minor in Italian, which is a pretentious way of saying that I love to read, argue, and learn. Also at Belmont, I am a member of several organizations, such as my sorority Alpha Sigma Tau, the Alpha Chi Honor Society, and the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society.

But that’s all of the boring stuff. The best way to describe me is a sarcastic ball of fun. I like to try to leave my mind at home and enjoy what life has to offer by experiencing things that make me feel uncomfortable and excited. For example, recently I have started rock climbing despite my fear of heights.

What are you most excited about re. studying abroad?
I am most excited about exploring a country and language that I have only ever learned about. Through my Latin courses in high school and my Italian ones in college, I have only gained second-hand knowledge of what Italy is like. I’m excited that I’ll have to opportunity to develop a story of my own.

What are you most nervous about re. studying abroad?
I’m terrified of being away from my family. I go to school only 3 to 5 hours away from the most important people in my life. The fact that I’ll be seas away from my friends and family makes me feel sick and scared.

What are three goals that you would like to achieve/accomplish while abroad?

1. Become as proficient in Italian as possible.
2. Visit as many cities and sites as possible. (I want to see John Keats’ grave in Rome.)
3. Decide if this is the place I want to be after undergraduate or if graduate school is for me.