CIAO FROM ITALIA!

This month has been an amazing one with many surprises and of course culture shock..

I arrived in Rome on January 8th and as I was driving through the city center, I was left in a sense of awe. I cannot believe that the eternal city of Rome will be my new home for several months.

Now, being February 5, 2009, I have been living in Rome for almost one month now. I have experienced a lot here; things that I have never experienced before in my whole life. I have had to adjust and understand foreign things that are not dealt with in the U.S. I feel like I have adjusted to live like a normal Roman. There is one thing I must admit, due to the Italian bureaucracy, everything is slow here. In Italy there is no such thing as customer service, and there is no such thing as having things fast. One of my biggest obstacles so far has been dealing with the transportation system. The distance walking from my apartment to the school is about 45 minutes, and taking the bus is usually shorter. Budgeting time in Rome is a big thing because buses always run late and are very unpredictable and the metro doesn’t run close by the school. Compared to Paris, Rome’s metro system is not as good. Well, like they say, we need to roll with the punches and just keep on going.

My classes are very interesting. I am taking five classes. International Business with Professor Angelo Forte – a very knowledgeable and great businessman. I am also taking E-Marketing with Professor Susan Fuller, Political Economy of Globalization with Professor Steven Colatrella, Business Ethics with Prof. Tom Bailey, and Marketing Management with Professor Alessandro Signiorini. All my classes are really interesting and I am learning so much. By far, my favorite courses are Marketing Management with Prof. Signiorini and International Business with Prof. Forte. They are significantly harder due to that European education tends to be taught in a different manner than at American universities. John Cabot is accredited in the U.S. and is in conjunction with University of Wales standards.

In these last few weeks, I have learned a lot. I have been able to enjoy and savor Rome so much. It’s nice to say that I walk by and take the bus right past the Vatican every day.

Life has been more than amazing in this last week. I got two internship offers. One with the Croce Rossa Italiane (Italian Red Cross) and Strega Marketing Group in Boston. I am so happy that I have landed these great internships. I feel blessed being here in Rome and having to receive these great opportunities. Also on February 16th, I heard Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, will be in Rome. I got a special invitation, and I will be attending!!

Anyway, I am going to have some aperitivo now…Wine and small foods while I do my homework. I will keep you all posted real soon on my adventures and wonderful opportunities.

Ciao a Tutti!!!

What a great view!!