Annie Latimer Final Blog Post

 I'm happy to report that I did not get pick pocketed! A week before coming to Italy, I finished my semester study abroad program in Scotland. The two places are very different, especially because they had different languages. The food was also VERY different. I went from eating fish and chips, tea, and biscuits, to eating amazing pasta, pizza, and wine. Don't get me wrong, Scotland was spectacular, but the food in Italy was unmatched. Scotland had cobblestone and castles, while Italy had colorful buildings and sunshine. Both amazing experiences that were so different and I am so thankful for both.




My favorite thing about Italy was sitting down for meals with my friends or someone that we just met cooking for us. On my birthday we visited a Shepard's house where he cooked us a meal of pasta, cheese, meat, tomatoes, and wine. The Shepard had handmade instruments that we played and he sang an Italian song. We ate on top of a cliff overlooking the water and it was the most amazing birthday ever. I also led discussions on this day and we learned a lot about terraces, specifically ones that grow lemons, and their environmental impacts. This was the most fascinating reading in my opinion because I took a Natural Hazards class at PLU and then was able to incorporate my knowledge of that into my notes and discussion questions. 


My other favorite site visit was the olive grove. We tasted amazing wine, saw the trees, how the oil is made, and had a meal. It was very interesting to learn about how climate change affected the trees. This included an earlier harvest time and more water usage. Olives have many uses and were an important factor to the development of Italy in the Roman period. There was a boom in individual fortunes and many people were involved in the production. 






Overall, I had the best time in Italy. I made many new friends, and even found a future roommate! I am so thankful for our guide Alessio, he made the trip amazing and was very knowledgeable about Italy. A huge thank you to Dr. Hames and Austin for keeping us safe during this trip and making sure that we had a great time!



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