I'll be spending the academic year of 2012-2013 in Perguia, Italy studying Language and Culture at Università per Stranieri di Perugia. (Here I pause to catch my breath. Did that sound overly informative or obnoxious? It's a difficult balance to strike.)
Since it's only June (or rather, "Since it's already June"), time to get cracking! Have to search for tickets, visa paperwork, my sanity, etc. I'm supposed to fly over there August 30th. Eeek. I am also taking Italian 201 online at ASU to assist my language skills. All I can think now is how irritating Italian is. I don't want to study this! Give me my summer back! Alas, I'm going to be studying and speaking this language for an entire year. Hopefully once I am better at it, I will like it again.
The title of this blog is "The Anxious American." Why is that, you ask? Because I am an anxious person. I like order, plans that run smoothly, people and trains to be on time. Italy is the opposite. Italian culture glorifies chaos, is indifferent to sudden change and its members manage to jump from emotion to emotion without major damage. Somehow I've found myself going to this crazy place. A change I need.
Americans are known to work, work, work all week and spend their weekends in their pajamas watching tv. Guilty as charged. My personal assignment is to learn how to relax in my day to day life, not abandon myself to sloth when I finally get a break. That, and speak Italian fluently.
