Ciao ciao friends!

After four weeks, my time in Rome has come to an end. I am so excited and happy I got to participate in this experience. Through this study abroad I learned much more about food and gender in Rome than I thought that I would. There were many excursions that allowed me to learn more about the food industry of Italy. We went to many farms, stand outs were the lemon and Orsini family farms. From these trips I learned more about how farming in Italy is different depending on the region and more about region specific foods. Because regionality is so important to Italian culture, we went around to different areas to talk to businesses and locals. Namely, we went to Amalfi and Umbria. While Amalfi is a very popular area, Umbria is less so but still very beautiful. It would not be an area that I would go to on my own but it created many of my favorite moments of the trip. 

I grew a lot on this trip. I have never been to Europe, much less traveled on my own. So this was a very interesting test for myself, but I made it to Rome and back! The hardest part of the trip was being able to balance work while also being a tourist. However, dealing with that allowed me to get better at time management and self independence. I was able to complete my work while having the time to do what I wanted to do. I was able to travel to Florence and see the David statue, do a boat tour to Capri, and see the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. 

From this trip I learned valuable skills and lessons about traveling, time management, and food in Rome. I learned much more about the food industry and my participation in it, whether it be slow or fast food or how I interact with food because of my gender identity. Going forward I plan to be much more conscious of what I consume and what ingredients I use. I will also evaluate the role I plan in the food industry and sustainability. 

Grazie, 

Brandi Ramcoobeer