The GoGlobal Blog

Author: Erin Allen

Ciao a tutti! My name is Erin Allen and I am from Chicago, IL. I am currently a junior at Loyola studying Advertising, Public Relations, and Business Administration. However, at the John Felice Rome Center in Italy, I will be taking mainly core classes that focus on the Italian language and culture. This will be my first time going to Europe, so I am very excited to learn new things inside and outside of the classroom. Through this blog, I will keep you all posted on my adventures and new experiences in my temporary home of Rome, Italy!
Lizzie McGuire Would be Proud.

Lizzie McGuire Would be Proud.

The countdown is on for my final days in Rome. Thinking about returning home is bittersweet; I can’t wait to see my family, but I really enjoy the Mediterranean lifestyle.

Looking back, I’m so happy that I was able to have this opportunity. It fills me with so much joy to say that I was able to drop into another country for 4 months, learn a new language, complete school work, AND travel with friends.

Yesterday, the SLAs held a talk about transitioning back into America and ways to come back to Rome. They already started giving us recommendations of where to go for authentic Italian food in Chicago! Now that I know that the restaurant Eataly was created in Rome, I will definitely be making weekly trips after my Water Tower classes!

From the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you so much to my family, Loyola, and everyone else who allowed me to embark on this journey.

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One of the great joys of traveling through Italy is discovering firsthand that it is, indeed, a dream destination.”  – Debra Lavinson

Bari… It’s in Puglia… It’s in Italy.

Bari… It’s in Puglia… It’s in Italy.

This past weekend I told several people I was going to Bari, Italy and the people seemed confused. “Where is that?” and “What is there?” These responses concerned me because the only people who knew anything about Bari were my Italian professor and my roommate who went there earlier in the year. Of course my friend and I looked up things to do, but we planned on spending 3 days there. We weren’t sure if we would have enough to see in this small city. The trip ended up being fantastic and filled with action! We saw the two churches of the patron saints of Bari: Saint Nicholas and Saint Sabino, ate AMAZING seafood, and walked through this hardly renovated old town. It was a nice getaway from the chaos of Rome.

On our last day, Sunday, my friend and I took a day trip to Poglinano a mare which was just 30 minutes away from the center of Bari. With white apartments on top of cliffs surrounded by the sea, it looked like pictures of Greece that I’ve seen. That town was even more untouched with small side streets and everyone’s laundry hanging above.

Our trip to Bari was pretty last minute; we planned it a week before and everything worked out alright. I would not go back anytime soon because we saw all of the town, but it would be nice to visit for a vacation. Below are some pictures from my time in Bari!

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I Fell in Love Last Weekend

I Fell in Love Last Weekend

Yes, you read that title correctly. I fell in love last weekend. But not with a person, no. With Milan.

This past week was fashion week in Milan: one of the most famous events that happens in the fashion industry. Sure, fashion week happens in several large cities, but how many people can say that they were at the fashion capital of the world during that time? Very few people.My friends and I were a little hesitant to go because the train tickets were a little bit pricey, but I think that we got more than our money’s worth in experiences and a good time. Our train arrived in at Milano Centrale at 10 am and we were more than ready to take on the city! However, we ran into the small problem of not being able to find out where we needed to go. This would have been a problem, BUT a marvelous woman who was traveling alone named Katherine knew exactly where we wanted to go and SHE TOOK US THERE. We were so grateful and amazed that this even happened.

 

Our destination was to the Duomo which was the main shopping district/ the name of the Milan cathedral. The first plan for the day was to visit the cathedral. Next to the cathedral, was a line of people in red tents, so we checked that out before getting the tickets. To our surprise, the line was actually a line to gain FREE ACCESS to the terrace of the cathedral. All they had to do was calculate our heart rate before and after walking up the stairs. Of course we jumped on this opportunity that saved us 14 euros. The rest of the day was spent wandering around Milan and enjoying this new city.

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On Sunday, we spent more time exploring the city, but the most important things were to see The Last Supper and go to a fashion show. Before arriving in Milan, I looked up some places where fashion shows were going to be happening. We went in with an idea, but we actually had no idea where to go. Looking extremely lost allowed us to meet two Italian girls who were looking for the same show. So, we worked together and walked 2 miles to the Dolce and Gabbana fashion show. It was insane how many people were there and how fabulous the models and attendees looked!

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After all of the fashion bloggers and models cleared, we headed to the Santa Maria Della Grazie museum to see The Last Supper. When we arrived at the museum, the worker explained to a man before us in line that there were no more tickets available and that we should have made reservations 2 weeks ago. We were pretty bummed about this because it’s such an iconic piece of Christianity and it would have been incredible to see it in person. When we stepped outside, my friend realized that the man who was in front of us in line was Michael Phelps with his fiancée and manager. We were 2 feet away from a celebrity and didn’t even realize it!To continue on our day, we decided to check out a castle that was close by that also gave us discounted tickets for being students! That was our last expedition for the day and we headed back to Milano Centrale to go back home.

So when I said that I fell in love with Milan, it’s probably understandable how. We had such a good time when we were there! Now, my heart is divided between Chicago, Rome, and Milan.

CALCIOOOOO

CALCIOOOOO

Last night, I played my first calcio game with my team giallo! As soon as I knew that the teams would be randomly picked, I was pumped. My team has a lot of people that I would not have talked to had it not been for calcio. This was great and really exciting because it’s easy to fall into cliques and not step out of your bubble and meet new people.
So back to calcio: we versed celeste and they were killing it. They had good communication, tried their best, and supported each other the entire game. I think they also were very happy with their random team. The game lasted for 45 minutes with a 25 minute first half, 5 minute halftime, and 20 minute second half. Even though the game lasted this long, the intensity never dropped, but it was a friendly kind of intense.
The game ended with 5-3 and giallo won! I have to say though: it was a very close call and most of the time we were tied with celeste. Afterwards, we did a high five line and marveled at how sweaty we all were. It was such a good game and I hope we get to play against them again. But if we don’t then giallo is ready for the next opponent!Last night, I played my first calcio game with my team giallo! As soon as I knew that the teams would be randomly picked, I was pumped. My team has a lot of people that I would not have talked to had it not been for calcio. This was great and really exciting because it’s easy to fall into cliques and not step out of your bubble and meet new people.
So back to calcio: we versed celeste and they were killing it. They had good communication, tried their best, and supported each other the entire game. I think they also were very happy with their random team. The game lasted for 45 minutes with a 25 minute first half, 5 minute halftime, and 20 minute second half. Even though the game lasted this long, the intensity never dropped, but it was a friendly kind of intense.
The game ended with 5-3 and giallo won! I have to say though: it was a very close call and most of the time we were tied with celeste. Afterwards, we did a high five line and marveled at how sweaty we all were. It was such a good game and I hope we get to play against them again. But if we don’t then giallo is ready for the next opponent!

Nice to meet you Umbria

Nice to meet you Umbria

After the first week of school last week I was EXHAUSTED. And then the idea of taking a trip somewhere I had never heard of seemed crazy to me. Thankfully, I was able to catch up on sleep on the way to Umbria which is about 2.5 hours away from the JFRC.
When I woke up, I was surrounded by gorgeous scenery, miles of olive trees, and homes tucked away in the mountains. The sequence of events seemed to be something from a movie. Our first adventure was to a farm that was owned by a family in Passignano sul Trasimeno. There, my dream of immersing into Italian culture came true as we learned how to make pasta, harvest grapes, and work with legumes.

 
The next day we toured the historical town of Spoleto which felt like a third home afterwards. Then, the SLA’s (Student Life Assistants) spoiled us and outdid themselves AGAIN by planning a buffet style meal at Campello Sul Clitunno. Now: I am a foodie with a capital “F”, so just imagine how far my jaw dropped when we were given a HOMEMADE buffet style meal. So yes; I did stroll out of there extremely happy.

Campello Sul Clitunno lunch
Campello Sul Clitunno lunch

On the third day, we left for Todi to eat and then headed to Cascate delle Marmore to go on nature trails and see the waterfall. It was so fascinating to thing about how the waterfall got to be as grand as it is today. The plan was to walk to the top of the waterfall trail to look at the view. However, a heavy rainstorm stopped us halfway and we had to go back down. After 30 minutes of sitting on the bus wondering what the view from the top looked like, other people who waited out the storm to get to the top came back. Their pictures put mine to shame!

Waterfall at to Cascate delle Marmore in Todi
Waterfall at Cascate delle Marmore in Todi

It was such a fun weekend that I would LOVE to go back one day just when I need to escape the busy Roman life.

Looking over Spoleto
Looking over Spoleto
Today is the Day!

Today is the Day!

Here I am on Tuesday, August 30th 2016. With my suitcase (weighing less than 50 lbs. yay!) and my backpack. I thought that I would be very nervous about this day. Saying “see you later” to family and friends is always difficult, but today feels like a normal day. Odd enough, I feel prepared to start my study abroad journey…

The next time you hear from me I’ll be in Rome; what a great way to start my junior year!