Welcome.

As I begin to pack my entire life into just two suitcases, a feeling of pure anxiety is coming over me. I have never been across the ocean. That's right, for the past twenty years my feet have remained solely on American soil. In just six weeks I will board a cross-atlantic flight to Rome. There, I will meet my three roommates, and settle into the largest bedroom I've ever lived in. Just two days later I will begin my international business classes at LUISS. It's hard to believe that an entire year's worth of applications, meetings, and orientations will come to fruition in that short amount of time.

I was terrified of going abroad, of missing out on a semester in sunny Columbia, surrounded by friends, fun and familiarity. But whoever said adventure is at our doorsteps was wrong. The adventure is out there, across the ocean. The adventure lies in the Vatican City and in the village of Luca. The adventure lies in the language barriers and portion size differences. My adventure awaits me, and I'd be doing myself a disservice not to take it head on.

I'm leaving behind clubs, job obligations, friends, family, and Gamecocks. How will I fare across international borders? Follow along with my journey to find out! Please follow along and see as JP does Italy.