As I comfortably relax back home, kicking my feet up on an ottoman, I reflect on how thankful I am that finals are over. Although I no longer have finals on my mind, I can think of nothing else but the date May 11th. That is the day that I’ll be boarding a plane and heading to Cortona, Italy, to delve into the awesome opportunity I have been provided by The College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences  here at UGA. The opportunity that I’ve been given is to study viticulture and enology while staying in the Tuscany region of Italy, known across the globe for its wine production. Being a food science major, I’m ecstatic to learn all about wine during my time in Cortona. From the microbiological and chemical processes associated with vinification, to the sensory implications of winemaking decisions, I can’t wait to start learning.

My relaxation time is cut short as I try and make sure that I’ve done everything I needed to do for the study abroad. A big thing is making sure that I’m properly packed. Looking at what the weather in Cortona is like as well as what I’ll be doing there, I made sure to pack outfits from a simple t-shirt and gym shorts to the nicest and most European looking outfits I could put together. Other tasks I needed to do in preparation for my trip were to notify my bank about me being abroad, obtain an international cellular plan, make sure I have a converter for the Italian outlets and more. Although it seemed like a lot and seemed like it was going be stressful getting ready, I did all tasks in a calm and collected manner solely because I wasn’t prepping for a final, but an amazing one month trip in the beautiful Tuscany region of Italy. That’s all for now, I’ll write when I’m in Cortona. Ciao!