This adventure really began last October after I attended the International Fair on campus at the University of Cincinnati. As many of you know, I am a non-traditional student who re-enrolled at UC in 2009, to complete the B.A. degree I did not complete 25 years ago. UC has so many great programs and opportunities and I am trying to experience as many as I can! Once I started investigating programs, it was not hard to decide on Italy as my chosen host country. I will be taking several courses, including intensive Italian to help fulfill my language requirements. I will be living and studying in Viterbo, just north of Rome. The University has 10,000 students and the town is rich in medieval history. I worked diligently on applying for scholarships and grants... the UC international study abroad advisors were a great resource, and I am thrilled to be a recipient of several grants that cover most of my trip costs. These include a Taft Endowment Award and Benjamin A Gilman Scholarship. Many amazing things have fallen into place and I am still on track to graduate summer or fall 2012.
I thought it would be interesting and fun to do some independent travel before school starts in September and that is where this adventure took on a life of it's own! I started investigating Croatia after I read about Plitvice National Park. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has unique geographical and water formations which I will be excited to show you in future posts! Lake Bled, in Slovenia, is gorgeous and I will experience an all day hiking, swimming, rafting adventure in the Julian Alps with other travelers from around the world. I am really excited about exploring Split, Croatia and staying inside the walls of Diocletian's Palace built around 300 A.D.! Croatia looks to have some amazing beaches and people that are warm and welcoming. After that, it's on to northern Italy and Cinque Terre. I will celebrate my birthday in Florence this year! Wow! Then, I will be hitting the books and accepting all the challenges that go along with living abroad for 4 months! I hope this will prepare me for a career that can optimize my writing and communication skills. For my family, friends and UC faculty members who have helped me over the last 12 months - You Rock! Please check my blog often! And remember, as Mike Monahan from Life Success says, " If you don't take a chance, you'll never know if you could have succeeded."
