We’ve got Tuscany in our Carry-On
By Cody Durbin
Photo courtesy of FUA
Well, three weeks down and another to go. Most have gone through last minute packing, shopping, to last minute binging on all that Tuscany and Italy has to offer; this could be from that favorite gelateria that you have gone to at least three times in the last week, same goes with that sandwich shop that remembers you, or that farewell to a friend which you might have recently met. Walking down the streets soaking in the Florentine sun, I have always found something each day to marvel in the beauty of. To peel back each layer of the onion that is Florence is not an easy one. To do this you must touch the Duomo, taste the schiacciata, climb the steps of the Piazzale Michelangelo enjoying perspiration of your body and your mind as you become overloaded with emotions surfacing. To explain it you must experience it first. So what can we say about what we are bringing to New York? The city that never sleeps, the big uptown, cultural epicenter of the world. The gastronomical uniqueness is just one thing that Florence has to offer New York, the cultural enrichment will also be an addition to what we have packed with us, in the form of TuttoToscana, which translates to “all things Tuscan.”
Each student packed what they needed, but in reality they packed something that they didn’t know they had. No, a stranger did not place foreign objects in our suitcases with our knowing. We have Tuscany in our carry-on. Students may bring back physical artifacts of their experiences abroad, but they have also become cultural ambassadors in the name of Florence, Tuscany, and Italy. The last three weeks have gone by quickly, we have learned a great deal in a short amount of time from great instructors who have enabled us to be able to take this NYC week with a running start. Each student coming from Italy is armed with a deep knowledge of these events, and will seek to foster the same understanding when meeting with the rest of the team in New York. Bringing it all together is what this next week together will be about. Having already worked with a majority of these individuals, I can say my hopes are high for another great TuttoToscana experience.