Tayla
Lugo, Verrazano Class of 2017, has been waiting anxiously for this day since
March. That's when she learned she had received a Verrazano Study Abroad
Scholarship to attend a CSI course taught in Florence, Italy, over the summer.
Read on to share her anticipation!
My name is Tayla Lugo and I am a
Verrazano Student at the College of Staten Island. This summer I am
accomplishing something I have always dreamt of doing since I was a little
girl: I am studying abroad. I am leaving on May 27, 2015 to study abroad in Florence,
Italy.
I have never been more excited about
anything in my life. I also have never been out of the country before and I
would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. Thankfully, my excitement
trumps my nervousness and I look forward to embracing this amazing experience.
This is my first step in pursuing my dreams of traveling the world. I plan on
traveling all over Italy and also to Paris, France while I am abroad. If you
saw my room, you would know how obsessed I am with Paris because of all the
pictures I have hanging on my walls.
It is very important for me to
experience the different cultures, languages, and traditions while learning
about myself along the way. I hope to come home with a better understanding of
the world and a deeper respect for the Italian culture. I cannot wait to get
down with my Italian roots and learn more about where my family came from.
I
am beyond grateful to the College of Staten Island, the Verrazano School, and
everyone else who helped to make this journey possible for me. I am counting
down the hours until I am in the land of pasta and gelato. This opportunity
will shape the rest of my life and I cannot wait to share it with all with you!
 |
| Chaos! |
The
next time I will be writing to you all is when I am in Italy. How insane is
that? I still cannot believe it. Someone needs to pinch me. By the way, packing
for a month was such a challenge that I finally conquered after repacking a
good three times. I am a girl and I tend to over pack when I go away for a
week, let alone a month. I took pictures so you can all see how my wardrobe
failed me and threw up all over my room. It was not pretty.
I hope it will give you a good
laugh!
Best,
Tayla Lugo
o
