So, I have been in Urbino for four days so far. It seems like life goes slowly over here. Maybe that's because the timezone is different, or maybe it's just the Italian lifestyle. Our classes have not started just yet, so maybe once they do, time will go a bit faster. Regardless of what it is, I like it. It forces you to slow down and enjoy what is happening at the moment. As an American, I can easily say that most Americans would probably go stir-crazy over here at how slowly things move. It's not like things aren't as modern as America; it's just that Italians seem to value time off and with their loved ones more than working. This can be seen during Pausa, when everyone gets off of work around 12-12:30 and goes home to eat lunch with their family. Things do not pick back up until around 3 pm or 7 pm even, for shops that stay open later.

I have experienced so many things in my short time here. Simply arriving in Urbino was an experience--the beauty of the city was unexpected. I knew that Italy was known for its beautiful architecture, but I guess the amazingness doesn't resonate with you until you see it in person. When the bus driver dropped four of us off (me, Grace, Mckenna, and Audrey) and Dennis (our professor), we took the elevator up to the city center because we all had luggage and rolling up the steep hill with that would be a nightmare. The four of us are briefly staying in the professor quarters because another American group (UT-Austin) has so many students that we have to wait for some of the graduating Italians to leave so that we have space at the Colle (the student dorms).


That first day was exhausting because we had just got done traveling; nevertheless, we wanted to see where we are going to be living for the next 99 days, so we had Dennis show us around. We saw some cute cafes, a lot of picturesque locations, the post office, a church, where one of our classes would be, and one of the mensas (cafeterias). Let me tell you: Urbino is steep. It's located on a mountain and it's plain hilly. If I do not leave here in the best shape of my life, I don't know what to tell you. To end the night, we went to Caffee Basilica for aperitivo and then to the mensa for dinner.

Let's skip forward to day two: Friday. This was a day of filling out legal documents and adventure. We walked the highest hill (oh my gosh, I do not think I am ever going to get used to it), went to get photos taken of us for our residency application, and had aperitivo again. I really enjoyed Friday because I got to really start learning Urbino and how to get around. We visited the Sugar Cafe for aperitivo; Giovanni owns the cafe, and he is the sweetest Italian! He even gave us all free coffee coupons. That was my first time trying a Spritz, which is a drink with Prosecco, Aperol, and soda water. It was okay, but not my favorite.


On Saturday, we all went to the post office and then the market. The market comes around every Saturday, and there is so much there. There's food (fresh and fried), clothes, scarves, shoes, bags. The list is endless! I bought a scarf for 8 Euro, a bookbag for 25 Euro, and some strawberries, kiwis, and clementines for about 3 Euro total. I'm excited about next weekend's market! At night, we all went to eat dinner at La Balestra Antica Hostria; we had pizza there and it was pretty good. Not going to lie, I haven't fell in love with any of the pizza here yet, so I'm still looking forward to finding one that is just...wow!


On Sunday, all twelve of us caught the bus to Pesaro. Well, we were supposed to go to Pesaro. We got off of the bus about fifteen minutes too early, but luckily where we got off was by a mall! I bought a pair of shoes because I need more fancy-casual shoes, so I got some slip-ons that are super comfy.

Now...today. Today is Monday and we started our Italian course. I. Am. In. Love. The language is so beauitful. While learning a language is never easy, I am excited about the challenge. Our professor is named Silva, and she is a really nice lady. Her one rule for the class is to never speak English. This should be fun...

Today, I am on the way to Urbino, Italy. This is my second study abroad, but my first time in college abroad. When I first went overseas, I studied with Youth for Understanding in Germany during my senior year in high school. (You can read all about it on the blog that I kept up while there, which you can find right here.) Now, I am going to Italy with my college. The program that I am going under is called A Semester in Urbino--Italy. It goes from the end of January to the beginning of May, and the focus will be on the Renaissance Era of Italy with focus on Journalism and Communication students, such as public relations, journalism, and advertising. Our accompanying professor is Dennis Chamberlin, a Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer and professor.

I plan to keep this blog up with some of my adventures in the land of love. Living in Italy has been my dream for the longest. Before I went to Germany, the plan was for me to study abroad in Italy; I went to the former, however, because it was financially better. I have no regrets, however; I'm simply even more excited to finally get to live in my dream country for awhile. While I am excited to go to Italy (and not even a super touristy part, y'all!) and become immersed in the culture, I am not going with ridiculously high hopes. My mind is open, and I am going to let whatever happens, happen.

When it comes to travelling, I am learning that being super open and willing to experience is the most important trait to have. Anything can happen, so if your expectations are really high, you will end your trip feeling like it was unsuccessful. That's why my goal is to go to Italy, learn the language as best as I can in the 3.5 months I am there, and just...experience.

Throughout my time there, I am going to travel around the country. It's not a goal of mine to leave Italy (unless I cannot find doner; then, I am making a trip to Germany). I want to get to know this country as much as I can, every crevice and unique aspect of it. So, here's to a good few months!

It's been three months since I have become a sister of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. We are the FIRST Latina sorority. Despite myself not being Latinx, I chose my sisterhood based on its priorities and the genuine comaraderie I saw amongst sisters as well as their devotion to academics. Lambda Ladies are go-getters, who don't let barriers keep them from pursuing their passions and making a name for themselves. Lambda Ladies fight for our communities and speaks up for the unheard. We are Latin by tradition, not by definition.

Okay, that was my basic spiel about my sorority. But why did I decide to join a sorority at all? Once upon a time, I was severely anti-Greek. I did not dislike Greek life; I just didn't see myself actually partaking in it. There was so much required to be a member; it wasn't simply a sisterhood or brotherhood that you party, gossip, and have exciting adventures with (thanks movies for giving off this false perception). You have to put in work. That sounds like I am lazy, but I promise I'm not. It's when I am putting in work that I thrive the most, actually. With working hard, I have learned how to prioritize and identify what is best for me to pursue. Before last semster, I knew that I was not ready to commit myself to all the duties of Greekdom. I was just figuring out college life and finding an understanding of myself. I knew that if I did join a sorority, it wouldn't be for the letters. It'd be because I felt passionate and true about its mission.

So what the heck happened?

I met my mentor, Susan, in Connect 4 during my first year at Iowa State. When we first met, I found out that she is a founding sister of Zeta Gamma Chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha.

For those who aren't Greek, sororities and fraternities break off into chapters. For example, Alpha Chapter (the first, "The Motherland") of LTA was established at Kean University. Zeta Gamma Chapter is also LTA, but it was established at Iowa State University. These are different chapters of the same organization.

Susan and I spent our lunch talking, and she started to talk to me about her sisterhood. I was really impressed because of their contribution to the community, so our conversation delved deeper into what LTA was really about. I was new to learning about Greek life, especially the Multicultural Greek Council.  After about a thirty minute (quite conveneient) PowerPoint about LTA, I was really excited and thought that if I were to ever join a sorority, I would probably go burgundy and gray. Nevertheless, I did not pursue it at the time because of what I said earlier: I wasn't ready to commit myself. If I went for it, I wanted to go for it wholeheartedly.


I kept in touch with Susan because she is an awesome person, and I was inspired by her. She was majoring in Public Relations, so she was vital in helping me learn more about the industry and the possibilities I could have down that route. Occasionally she would bring up LTA, but she never made it a big deal about it. (Later on, she told me that she wanted me to find my own way there; if it was meant to be, it'd happen. Subtle....which is not like Susan at all, so this is funny in hindsight.)

It was not until Fall 2017 that I made up my mind: I wanted to go Greek. I was ready to pursue something that meant a lot to me, and I wanted to have a sisterhood. At this time, I was also the PR Chair for the Black Student Alliance, and one of my sisters was on the board as well. I talked to her about my interest, and she was beyond elated! She invited me to LTA's Open Espresso, which is basically an informational about the sorority. From then on out, it was fair game. I was all in.

A couple months later, I was officially a sister of Lambda Theta Alpha. I am the Duece of El Naciemento de Una Nueva Era, and am lucky to have two other line sisters who crossed with me. The process was definitely difficult, but do I regret it? No. I am SO proud to have my letters and be able to show the world what sisters of LTA can do.