No, really, I wasn't lying about going to Italy, I just ended up deciding to go to Rome instead. My advisor at the Office of International Affairs informed me that Florence is incredibly crowded in the summer, and so small that it really can't handle all the people who come as tourists. Rome, on the other hand, doesn't seem particularly crowded in the summer because it's so huge, it can handle all those crazy tourists. (She's part Italian and is very familiar with all its cities.) Since the whole point of going to Florence was to be somewhere quieter and smaller, this was enough incentive for me to change my mind. Rome was the main point anyway.
And I've already rambled on and on about why I must go to Rome. So...the decision is now final, the applications are filled out, I have all the signatures I need from various university personnel, and now I am just working on getting my passport and visa finalized. Yay!
And yes, I am giving up Pompeii...but the class I'm taking in Rome is even better. It's the perfect mix of my academic interests: ancient Rome and English literature. It's called "Roman Influence on English Literature," and basically we read the work of a Roman author and then the work of English authors who were obviously inspired by him. So, for instance, we'll study Ovid and then compare him to Chaucer, and we'll study Juvenal and compare him to Samuel Johnson. Pretty sweet, eh? I am so excited.
In other news, yesterday I went to Office Depot and ended up selling my soul for a couple of ink cartridges. Seriously, it's highway robbery. Then after extensive bargaining to get my soul back, my head was eaten by my books when I got home. I'm starting to imagine that they all behave like Harry's "Monster Book of Monsters," but so far stroking the spines hasn't helped.
1 comment:
your trip sounds totally nerdy and awesome. congratulations!
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