15 Days!

It's true, I leave the United States in just 15 days! I really can't believe how much time has passed and how quickly it has gone by! I'm definitely a little bit nervous--just about everything coming together--but I am more excited than anything else. This is going to be an experience of a lifetime for me, and I want to get the most out of my time in Italy as possible. I feel like I'm at this funny point in life where I am on the brink of entering into a new phase of life; I'm leaving so much behind and everything in my future is new--it's unknown! I have 3 days left of classes at BYU, I will take my finals, I will graduate and walk in Commencement on April 20th. Then, in 4 short days, I will leave my friends, my family, and everything that I am comfortable. I will live in a foreign country for 3 months and come back to a new set of unknowns: grad school.

I have really been trying to plan things out and be prepared, but I think what my field directors have been telling me for months is finally really starting to sink in, "I need to be okay with ambiguity." I'm still trying to determine if my mindset has really shifted that much by choice, or that if it has shifted because it had to--because I realize that as much as I try to control something, I can't (like my housing for instance--still up in the air). Either way, it has. I don't know where I'm going to live, who my friends will be, how I will do with communication, or even how I'm going to go grocery shopping. One thing I do know though is that I will figure it out. I think everything is so ambiguous now because I'm not there, once I'm actually in Italy, my life won't be ambiguous because I'll be living it. Does that make sense? Right now my future is ambiguous, even tomorrow is ambiguous--I can plan my day out (which I usually do--hour by hour), but unexpected things will happen and I will be fine; I am doing all I can prepare now, and I will figure out every curve ball that is thrown at me when it comes. That's how it should be. I played softball for 8 years, and I think the analogy works out very well. You don't start swinging--or even determine where or how you will swing the bat--until the pitcher releases the ball; if you did, you would strike out just about every time. I think that by understanding that concept, I can better grasp what living with ambiguity means. It doesn't mean I'm not prepared, just like a batter who has spent hours in batting practice, I have spent dozens upon dozens (probably more) hours preparing for this field study. And with the skills and knowledge I've developed, I will step up to the plate in Italy and take the curve balls as they come. :) I hope this all made sense, because I really feel like I've just had an epiphany.

Being okay with ambiguity doesn't mean that I'm okay slacking off and not preparing, it means that I've prepared, and because of that preparation, I am ready to handle ambiguity--to thrive in and with it.

Historical Immersion!

Rome is a culture with such a strong history--one that I definitely want, and need, to learn about to truly understand the Italian culture. I was talking to a woman yesterday who recently had the opportunity to travel to Italy and she was going off about how you can just feel the history in some of the ancient buildings. I've always felt similarly with things like that. I was reading/looking at some ancient manuscripts for a humanities class a year or two ago and felt such a connection with the past--someone, or maybe several people, spent their time making those manuscripts hundreds or thousands of years ago, and they were preserved so that I could experience them. I feel like I will have similar feelings about the ancient architecture and artwork in Rome. Yes, I want to be immersed in their current culture, but in order to understand the present circumstances, I feel that it is so important to learn about the past. I want to not only see the art and architecture around the city, I want to experience it, hopefully with friends that I've made in Italy that have a better understanding of it and can help me understand it's importance to them. I guess it's not directly related to my project, but it's related to my overall experience which is the most important part, isn't it?


So, although I won't be at museums all day, they are an aspect of Rome that I want to experience--so, to get the most bang for my buck, I've looked into some potential passes that I can purchase


Roma Pass

• 3 day pass

• free transportation 

• free admission for 2 museums or sites, exhibitions and events

• can be used at more than 40 monuments

• costs 25 euros

Vatican and Rome Card

• admission & no waiting in line for the Vatican Museums and Colosseum

• includes transportation, open bus Roma Cristiana, itinerary audio tours and maps, traveler medical assistance and dicounts

• discounts for admissions to most other monuments and museums in Rome

Appia Antica Card

• good for 7 days from first use

• free admission to the Baths of Caracalla, the Villa of the Quintili, and the Tomb of Cecilia Metella

Biglietto 4 Musei - 4 museum combination tickets

• free admissions to each of 4 national museums of Rome;  Palazzo Altemps, Palazzo Massimo, Diocletian Baths, and Balbi Crypt

http://goitaly.about.com/od/romeitaly/qt/rome_pass.htm

So, these all seem great, but I definitely feel like they're more geared towards short, tourist trips... I just bought an international student ID card, maybe I'll look more into what that offers...I am going to be there for 3 months, I don't want to try to crunch all of my historical exploration into 3 days, or even 7, I'm hoping that I can find an option that spreads it out a little more. I guess all I can do is keep my eyes and ears open!

Safeguarding My Money

I've got my cell phone plans almost all figured out for Italy, the next thing I need to worry about is money. I feel like my trip is so close at hand that I'm really getting down to a lot of the logistical details of my trip--which is great! It's also a little bit taunting. There are SOOO many little things I can do now, before I get to Europe, that will make my experience a lot less stressful when I'm actually there. The trick is trying to determine what all those little things are, and then making time to actually do them. Like I said before, I've got my cell phone situation figured out, and I have bought my International Student ID card--2 checks off my list. Now I'm trying to figure out how I will withdraw money, and when I have the money, how I will keep it secure.


I was reading online (http://goeurope.about.com/od/moneymatters/a/atm-card-fees.htm) about withdrawing money in Italy. There is a 250 Euro limit per day that I can draw out, and I've found that in the long run, it is better to withdraw larger amounts of money. This is because each bank charges different service fees and has associated costs for withdrawing money outside of the United States. This website tested several different debit/credit cards in Italy and fond the top four ones for international use. I was relieved to see that my bank, Wells Fargo, was among them. Sadly, it wasn't thee best--there is a $5 fee for all withdrawals, which is more than the 1% fee charged by a couple of other banks. Because of that, it will be important for me to make sure to always withdraw the maximum amount of money, so that I waste the least amount of money possible from service fees. 


A problem that comes with withdrawing the maximum amount of money is, of course, safeguarding my money.  Italy is somewhat well known for their pick-pocketers, and purse snatchers. The advice the website suggested was to keep the majority of my money and important documents (passport, etc.) in a travel security wallet or passport holder, worn under my clothing (which may be slightly uncomfortable), and then to carry a small amount of cash and one credit card in my purse, pocket, or pack.


One great piece of advice this website had was to take down the foreign phone number for each atm and credit card so that if it is lost or stole, I can report it. They also suggested making a photocopy of my passport--will do!! Obviously, I will be staying with a family, so I hope that I will be able to leave it there--in a safe and locked location.

Beyond that, some typical smart advice was things like: carrying my purse in front of me where I can easily see it, being aware of my surroundings, not putting my purse, day pack, or camera anywhere where someone could take it, and to close all zippers. Another precaution is to be aware of robbers use of diversions--like having someone hold a piece of cardboard in front of me to read, or using a child as a diversion while I am pick pocketed. Honestly, I don't think I would have thought much of that--being a foreigner, I think I'd have probably taken the time to read a sign or talk to a child. Ah, there is just so much to be aware of--these are great things to know! (http://goitaly.about.com/od/italytraveltips/qt/pickpockets.htm)

Cell Phone

The time is getting close and closer for me to go to Italy, and there are still a lot of little things that I really need to figure out before I get there, one being cell phones. I have talked to a few different people about purchasing a cell phone in Italy, but no one has given me direct advice, or connected me to any resources where I could get advice. So, I took it upon myself to do some research. :)


First of all, I think there are some huge benefits to having a cell phone abroad. Since I am not just a tourist, and will be immersed in the culture--with no other American students (at least none that I know of at this point), I am going to have to rely on myself, and the Italians I meet, to get around; they will be my social network. An important part of a social network is communication. I can't name one friend I know that does not have a cell phone in the U.S. While I cannot make a overarching statement about people in Italy, I am guessing that most--if not all--young adults there also have cell phones. Having a cell phone will not only be useful for getting around the city (when I get lost, which I know will happen), but it will be useful to hear about events going on. The first month I am in Italy, before doing any research, I hope that friends I meet might let me know of things that are going on through texting or calling (which is common here), rather than hoping I run into them so that they can tell me. When my research does actually start, having a cell phone will be a useful way for me to connect with participants and check in to make sure that we are on the same page as far as the timing and place of meetings goes.


Clearly, having a cell phone will be a huge benefit, but 1) What kind do I get, and 2) How do I get it?


Solutions: 



Purchase a SIM card for use with an unlocked GSM cell phone 

1. must make sure the phone is 'unlocked' and compatible with other SIM cards
2. SIM card determines phone's number and allows access to the service that particular SIM card supports
3. Buy FOR (not in!) the country
4. purchase from a dealer in the US who specializes in selling and renting cell phones for use abroad
5. if you get it early, the number is embedded in the phone and I can give that number to friends and family; active SIM card when in the country

Rent or buy an unlocked GSM cell phone and prepaid sim card from Cellular Abraod

1. local Italian number for calls in Italy
2. Free incoming calls
3. fixed low rate for calls to the US
4. all menus in English
5. 24 hour a day service
6. include foreign adapter for charger
7. come with small prepaid initial credit (4 Euros = 23 minutes calling in Italy, 11 to US)
8. it's possible to buy additional prepaid minutes directly from Cellular Abraod when I place my order
9. can easily add time while in Italy
10. UNO mobile service

Italy SIM Card Rental and Purchase Options
http://goitaly.about.com/od/italytraveltips/qt/cell_phones.htm

SIM & Cell Phone Packages for Italy http://www.cellularabroad.com/packages-italy.html

Well, now I know! Next step is probably talking with my parents and those that have lived in Italy, and figuring out which option is best for me.