Hey Everybody!
One week from today I will be on my long flight to Florence, Italy for my semester at SRISA. I have had many different emotions this week about it all. I will admit I am pretty scared. Luckily my excitement overrules my fear. I have been working some good hours this week which has helped me keep my mind off of my worries and excitement of the trip. I did start packing last week but realized I had started packing clothes and other stuff I still needed, so my neatly packed suitcase is now a disaster. I will have to try again in a couple days.
I am extremely thankful for all my friends and family for being such great support with this opportunity in my life. My grandma and Aunt Jill both gave me money during Christmas for my trip, which will be extremely helpful while I am there and I am so grateful for their help. My family and friends have all been excited for me, which just makes me more excited about it all. I can't wait to liven up this blog page with some stories from Florence, but for now this is all I have. One more week!! :)
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Visa!
Hey everyone!
As most of you know I finally got my visa in the mail! It is such a relief!! Now I am taking time to plan the fun things and focus on all the other important things I have to get done before I leave. I met with my friend Lauren (the girl who went last year to SRISA) last week. She gave me a ton of helpful hints on what to pack, what to bring on the plane, people to contact there, and many other things. My cousin Bridgit lived in Europe for awhile so she knows about it pretty well. I've made sure to go to her for help about any questions I have also. She says the train system is great along with RyanAir, which is super cheap airlines from one European country to other European country. My biggest fear as of right now is not knowing where to go in the airport. Luckily I am not afraid to ask for help, so I should be just fine. Anyone who was around me during the visa process knows how much of a worry wart I am.
I am home now for Christmas break. So I am just trying to get together with as many friends and family as possible before I leave. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Only 18 more days until I leave! Nervous and excited!
As most of you know I finally got my visa in the mail! It is such a relief!! Now I am taking time to plan the fun things and focus on all the other important things I have to get done before I leave. I met with my friend Lauren (the girl who went last year to SRISA) last week. She gave me a ton of helpful hints on what to pack, what to bring on the plane, people to contact there, and many other things. My cousin Bridgit lived in Europe for awhile so she knows about it pretty well. I've made sure to go to her for help about any questions I have also. She says the train system is great along with RyanAir, which is super cheap airlines from one European country to other European country. My biggest fear as of right now is not knowing where to go in the airport. Luckily I am not afraid to ask for help, so I should be just fine. Anyone who was around me during the visa process knows how much of a worry wart I am.
I am home now for Christmas break. So I am just trying to get together with as many friends and family as possible before I leave. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Only 18 more days until I leave! Nervous and excited!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Roommates, Trips, Apps
Hey Everyone!
It's been awhile since I have posted anything, mainly because I really haven't found out any news until today.
On November 20th, I was able to meet with the honorary consulate in Minneapolis to get my papers notarized. It wasn't until the 26th of November, I was able to get those papers out because I needed to make copies and I was home for Thanksgiving then. Hoping to get my passport back with the visa soon. The good news for today was that I found out who my roommates were. I have three other roommates!! I am so excited. I was hoping to get more than one roommate so I am thankful. I am also trying to figure out what field trips I would like to go on while in Italy. The ones that they have to offer are Bologna, Rome, Milan Fashion Week, and Naples/ Sienna. I am thinking about going to Rome, Naples and Sienna. I was super excited about Milan Fashion Week but I recently found out that that trip is for SRISA Fashion students only. Bummer. I am super excited for this experience!
My Aunt Margaret and Uncle Mark are coming to visit me during my spring break in March. We are planning on spending most of our time in Lucca where the Micheletti family originally came from. Our hopes are to be able to potentially find some relatives. It would be great to meet some distant relatives but being with my Aunt and Uncle will be great enough for me!
I have been pretty busy these past couple months so I haven't been making time to try and learn some of the Italian language. I have a couple apps on my iPod though which I have played around with when I do have time, so I have learned a few greetings. I also have an app called Italy which has all the names of the cities and gives you a list of things like places to eat, hotels, sightseeing, history, architecture, and so much more. When I find time I will focus on one city and just read all about it ( I have been focusing on Florence for now mainly, as that is where I will be living).
Other than that, not much is new with this girl! Just super excited for this experience and hoping it is a safe and enjoyable one! I will keep you all posted when I find out anything new and exciting.
Ci vediamo dopo. (See you later!)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
My Courses at SRISA and Goals.
Hello Everyone!
My first blog I gave you the story on how this trip came about. Now I would like to give you some more information the classes I will be taking and some of my goals.
The school I will be attending in Florence, Italy is called Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA). I will be going for the spring semester (January 8th- April 27th). There are different studio classes you can take at the school along with some liberal arts classes, political/business classes, and of course classes for Italian language. As of right now I will be taking Italian I, History of Contemporary Art, Digital Imaging I, Black & White Photography, and Discovering Florence Through Photography. If you don't already know, I am an Art major with a studio focus of photography and a journalism minor. I can't really say which of the five classes I am most excited for. I've never really had a photography class before, so I am actually super nervous but excited for the two I will have in Italy. I am really interested in learning Italian and being able to communicate with the Italians. The History of Contemporary Art class will cover the required Modern Art credit I need at UWS. At the University of Wisconsin-Superior I have taken two semesters of art history. Although, they were difficult classes and required a lot of reading and analyzing of art, they were amazing classes. Not to mention the 80lb book required for the class I had to carry around everywhere. My hard work in those art history classes really paid off. The best part is that so much of the art I studied last year and dreamed of seeing in real life, I WILL BE SEEING SO SOON!
My adventure will begin when I leave January 6th, 2013 from the airport in Minneapolis, MN. From there I land in Chicago, then to Zurich, Switzerland, and finally landing in Florence on the 7th. From the airpot I will have to get a taxi to bring me to the school. There isn't a group of students going to SRISA from UWS so I am going to be on my own for this trip. It is a bit of a scary thought but I am really excited for a trip that pushes me a little out of my comfort zone and hopefully teaches me to be a little more independent. Not only do I want to enjoy my trip to this beautiful country but I have also set out to reach a few goals. My first goal is to learn more about my passion; PHOTOGRAPHY! I want to learn different techniques and have a complete understanding of what it is others and I are capturing through the lens. My second goal is to have an understanding of the country that my ancestors came from. I want to see how our culture in the US is different from that in Italy. I want to learn different words and phrases in Italian. My third goal is to TRAVEL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! My dream of traveling to Italy is coming true! I want to make sure I see as much of it as possible!
My first blog I gave you the story on how this trip came about. Now I would like to give you some more information the classes I will be taking and some of my goals.
The school I will be attending in Florence, Italy is called Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA). I will be going for the spring semester (January 8th- April 27th). There are different studio classes you can take at the school along with some liberal arts classes, political/business classes, and of course classes for Italian language. As of right now I will be taking Italian I, History of Contemporary Art, Digital Imaging I, Black & White Photography, and Discovering Florence Through Photography. If you don't already know, I am an Art major with a studio focus of photography and a journalism minor. I can't really say which of the five classes I am most excited for. I've never really had a photography class before, so I am actually super nervous but excited for the two I will have in Italy. I am really interested in learning Italian and being able to communicate with the Italians. The History of Contemporary Art class will cover the required Modern Art credit I need at UWS. At the University of Wisconsin-Superior I have taken two semesters of art history. Although, they were difficult classes and required a lot of reading and analyzing of art, they were amazing classes. Not to mention the 80lb book required for the class I had to carry around everywhere. My hard work in those art history classes really paid off. The best part is that so much of the art I studied last year and dreamed of seeing in real life, I WILL BE SEEING SO SOON!
My adventure will begin when I leave January 6th, 2013 from the airport in Minneapolis, MN. From there I land in Chicago, then to Zurich, Switzerland, and finally landing in Florence on the 7th. From the airpot I will have to get a taxi to bring me to the school. There isn't a group of students going to SRISA from UWS so I am going to be on my own for this trip. It is a bit of a scary thought but I am really excited for a trip that pushes me a little out of my comfort zone and hopefully teaches me to be a little more independent. Not only do I want to enjoy my trip to this beautiful country but I have also set out to reach a few goals. My first goal is to learn more about my passion; PHOTOGRAPHY! I want to learn different techniques and have a complete understanding of what it is others and I are capturing through the lens. My second goal is to have an understanding of the country that my ancestors came from. I want to see how our culture in the US is different from that in Italy. I want to learn different words and phrases in Italian. My third goal is to TRAVEL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! My dream of traveling to Italy is coming true! I want to make sure I see as much of it as possible!
Monday, October 22, 2012
First Blog Ever: Art school in cities vs. Art school in ITALY!
Hey Everyone!
This past weekend I had talked to a few family members about creating a blog page about the study abroad trip I will be taking to Italy for Spring Semester. Before I go on about this amazing trip to Italy I will be taking, I want to tell you the story that led up to this opportunity.
Last year I had applied to an art school in St. Paul, The College of Visual Arts. I had fallen in love with St. Paul with the couple times I had visited it. There is so much to do in the cities and how cool would it be to go to an art school? Am I right? I ended up getting accepted and was planning on transferring for the fall semester of 2012. It was a very tough decision for me. I knew it was going to be hard to leave the amazing people I had met at Superior. I was going to miss my cross country and track team the most. Leaving Superior would mean I would have to give up one of my greatest passions as well, competitively running. I had to decide by May 1st whether I was going to the art school and pay my deposit. That day came and I told them I was going to stay in Superior.
Summer came around and I was starting to have doubts with my decision. I had worried I would come to some point in my life and be sad looking back and seeing how I let that perfect opportunity go. The beginning of June I had emailed the school back saying I regretted my decision and was curious if I could still get in for Spring semester of 2013. They were so happy I had emailed and even wanted me to still enroll for the Fall of 2012. The only problem with that was that I had already gotten myself mentally prepared for another cross country season, so I told them I'd come for Spring of 2013. Coming back to Superior I was telling everyone it was my last semester. Ever since freshman year when I heard about study abroad I wanted to travel to Italy. Superior never advertised an Italy program and I said that would be the only thing to make me stay in Superior.
First week of classes I met a girl named Lauren in my ceramics class. I told her about my plan about the big transfer and if Superior were to have study abroad to Italy I would stay at UWS to study abroad instead. I really feel like being in this class and meeting Lauren was a godsend. I feel like the reason for my constant changing mind was to hold me off from transferring for the moment that I met her in my ceramics class. The reason I bring up Lauren is because she is the creator of the study abroad program in Florence, Italy. She created the program last year when she had traveled there. I swear, that whole class period from 9 to 11:30 a.m. we spend talking about Italy and her amazing experience she had there. That same day I talked to the study abroad office where I immediately started the application process for Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence. If you know me, you know that when I start something I like to get it done and I usually stress if I don't get it done. I was very prompt about getting all my stuff in: housing information, the application, paying fees. I even emailed the SRISA office to see if they got my application and everything else. The day I emailed them to see if they got my application they had sent me a reply email congratulating me on my acceptance! After that I ran to the post office to get my passport. To myself I was thinking, " Man, this seems too good to be true! Getting all this stuff done is a piece of cake!" My great mood had disappeared when I started researching the dreadful VISA PROCESS!
Right now I am still in the process of getting my visa. My good mood has made a reappearance thanks to praying and contacting a few different people in the Visa office in Chicago. Originally I thought I would have to drive to Chicago to get it notarized. The good news is I only have to go to Minneapolis now, YAY! Another plus is that the website says for people going to study there isn't a fee (not 100% sure if it's true though). The only reason this has been a little stressful is because I need so many documents: Proof of housing in Italy, Acceptance letter from home institute and institute I will be at in Italy, completed visa application, passport, copy of passport photo, proof of financial means, flight itinerary, proof of health insurance. The good news is that I am ahead of the game according to the study abroad office so I have taken a few deep breaths.
Finishing my visa is where I am right now, and once I get that done it's official, I will be Italy bound on January 6, 2013! :) There's so many people I have to thank for this amazing opportunity. My parents have been super supportive about going and are happy for me which ultimately makes me happy. For informing me of this wonderful program and helping me with all the steps, I have Lauren to thank. My coach, Glen, has helped me with contacting people and being there to talk to me when I get overwhelmed with it all. For bringing this opportunity of a lifetime and dream into my life, I thank God!
This past weekend I had talked to a few family members about creating a blog page about the study abroad trip I will be taking to Italy for Spring Semester. Before I go on about this amazing trip to Italy I will be taking, I want to tell you the story that led up to this opportunity.
Last year I had applied to an art school in St. Paul, The College of Visual Arts. I had fallen in love with St. Paul with the couple times I had visited it. There is so much to do in the cities and how cool would it be to go to an art school? Am I right? I ended up getting accepted and was planning on transferring for the fall semester of 2012. It was a very tough decision for me. I knew it was going to be hard to leave the amazing people I had met at Superior. I was going to miss my cross country and track team the most. Leaving Superior would mean I would have to give up one of my greatest passions as well, competitively running. I had to decide by May 1st whether I was going to the art school and pay my deposit. That day came and I told them I was going to stay in Superior.
Summer came around and I was starting to have doubts with my decision. I had worried I would come to some point in my life and be sad looking back and seeing how I let that perfect opportunity go. The beginning of June I had emailed the school back saying I regretted my decision and was curious if I could still get in for Spring semester of 2013. They were so happy I had emailed and even wanted me to still enroll for the Fall of 2012. The only problem with that was that I had already gotten myself mentally prepared for another cross country season, so I told them I'd come for Spring of 2013. Coming back to Superior I was telling everyone it was my last semester. Ever since freshman year when I heard about study abroad I wanted to travel to Italy. Superior never advertised an Italy program and I said that would be the only thing to make me stay in Superior.
First week of classes I met a girl named Lauren in my ceramics class. I told her about my plan about the big transfer and if Superior were to have study abroad to Italy I would stay at UWS to study abroad instead. I really feel like being in this class and meeting Lauren was a godsend. I feel like the reason for my constant changing mind was to hold me off from transferring for the moment that I met her in my ceramics class. The reason I bring up Lauren is because she is the creator of the study abroad program in Florence, Italy. She created the program last year when she had traveled there. I swear, that whole class period from 9 to 11:30 a.m. we spend talking about Italy and her amazing experience she had there. That same day I talked to the study abroad office where I immediately started the application process for Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence. If you know me, you know that when I start something I like to get it done and I usually stress if I don't get it done. I was very prompt about getting all my stuff in: housing information, the application, paying fees. I even emailed the SRISA office to see if they got my application and everything else. The day I emailed them to see if they got my application they had sent me a reply email congratulating me on my acceptance! After that I ran to the post office to get my passport. To myself I was thinking, " Man, this seems too good to be true! Getting all this stuff done is a piece of cake!" My great mood had disappeared when I started researching the dreadful VISA PROCESS!
Right now I am still in the process of getting my visa. My good mood has made a reappearance thanks to praying and contacting a few different people in the Visa office in Chicago. Originally I thought I would have to drive to Chicago to get it notarized. The good news is I only have to go to Minneapolis now, YAY! Another plus is that the website says for people going to study there isn't a fee (not 100% sure if it's true though). The only reason this has been a little stressful is because I need so many documents: Proof of housing in Italy, Acceptance letter from home institute and institute I will be at in Italy, completed visa application, passport, copy of passport photo, proof of financial means, flight itinerary, proof of health insurance. The good news is that I am ahead of the game according to the study abroad office so I have taken a few deep breaths. Finishing my visa is where I am right now, and once I get that done it's official, I will be Italy bound on January 6, 2013! :) There's so many people I have to thank for this amazing opportunity. My parents have been super supportive about going and are happy for me which ultimately makes me happy. For informing me of this wonderful program and helping me with all the steps, I have Lauren to thank. My coach, Glen, has helped me with contacting people and being there to talk to me when I get overwhelmed with it all. For bringing this opportunity of a lifetime and dream into my life, I thank God!
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