When I decided to
study languages at university I knew very well that my third year would be
spent abroad. In fact, whenever I'd tell people my degree that would be one of
the first things they'd ask me, "ooh have you been on your year abroad
yet?". But even so, it wasn't something that I had thought about too much
myself. My answers would be the generic "no not yet ... no, I'm not sure
where I want to go ... yes I'm looking forward to it". It was just this
thing you'd hear mentioned in passing in the corridors of the
language department, or else you'd be reminded of it at the sight of those
elusive fourth years who would return with what seemed to me like an air of
greater wisdom and experience about them, shrouded in mystery and intrigue.
But in the last few
months that phrase, "Year Abroad", has been coming up in my own
conversation. And now somehow I have already packed up my life into a 29kg
suitcase, and I have already left dear ol' Yorkshire to find a new home for a
year in Italy and Spain.
I chose to spend
the first part of my year abroad in Bologna simply because I had heard good
things about the city and the university, and thought perhaps it wouldn't be as
full of roaming tourists as Florence and Rome. Since then I have heard the food
is spectacular and that there is a great student vibe. I will spend 5 months in
Bologna before returning home and preparing for the second part of my
adventure, Spain. My choice to go to Granada came after studying Lorca at
A-level and being intrigued by the city and its potent Islamic history. The
backdrop of the Sierra Nevada makes Granada look striking in photos, and
promises of 30+ degree temperatures whilst I am there only endorse my decision.
Now I have said
goodbye to the rolling hills of the Holme Valley; am currently on holiday in
the Alpine beauty of Morzine, France; soon to depart for the Valle d’Aosta's
famous views; then onwards to the charming red buildings of Bologna; before
ending my year amongst Granada's intriguing Muslim architecture.
I am not expecting
anything ‘life-changing’, but for my 20-year-old self, living and studying beneath new skies in
this small pocket of the world will be a new and exciting experience.
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| Saying goodbye to London, learning Italian recipes, cycling in Yorkshire, exploring West Sussex, packing my life into a suitcase, making plans. |
