I am just ending my first week abroad in Siena Italy, and wow!  In just this week alone I have heard so many interesting historical stories, myths in this culture, seen historical places, and the culture it’s self.

In this post I really want to talking about the contradas.  Now you may be asking what is this; a contrada is an area in Siena.  Sieana is broken down into 18 different contadads each having their own mascots.  Some mascots are the eagle, tortes, snail, and the unicorn.  A persons contrada depends on where you are born and grown up.  When you are born you are baptized in a fountain in your contrada ( this is not a religious thing, more like a right of passage.)  Now I live in the Unicorn contrada. Each contrada has its own flag and colors.  Everyday you can hear drums from one of the contradas and see parades with flags, music, people following.  It is a big deal here.

So what is the point of this?  A big horse race called the palio will be happening on July 2nd and all the contradas, come and watch this race hoping for their team to win.  People carry flags of their contradas and wear their colors,

Each contrada  has an enemy, for example the eagles hate the fish.  People know when they step in a different contrada  because immediately the flags change and all the lamps and statues now match the new contrada.

I learned all my information by my school,  they took us on two all day tours of the city and its history.

Below I attached 3 pictures:  1, of the fish flag, 2. where two contadas meet, and 3, a parade( of the unicorn contrada 🙂 )

When I first imagined studying abroad I must admit I was thinking somewhere in Europe. However, through some exploration I began to realize that I wanted something out of the ordinary, somewhere I hadn’t gone, somewhere I could get lost, a place that I feel I can discover for myself. I then began my search for my host country. Peru, and more specifically Machu Picchu have always had a place on my bucket list. When I discovered that I could study in the city was is considered “the gates of Machu Picchu” and better my Spanish at the same time, I knew it was just my place.

My trip this whole time seemed so far off but yet here I am four days out. I would tell people my summer plans to study abroad but it became more real when I bought my ticket and even more real as I sit four days from leaving, writing this post. It also became more apparent that it was actually happening when I received the information about my host family yesterday. I am beyond excited to meet them and find it hilarious that my host mom and real mom share the same name and favorite hobby. To my advantage that habit just happens to be cooking!

Right now I look forward to the anxiety that airports bring, the lack of sleep when traveling, and the culture shock that comes with being in a new place for the first time. I look forward to these challenges because I know it will only build upon my character. However, that being said for those of you who know me, you know I hate missing out on things and I cannot help but feel a little sad for the experiences I will be missing out on here. Although, there are always more summers in Oregon to be apart of so I know I will get over it…probably when gazing at the ruins of Machu Picchu,if I had to guess.

Here’s to my summer 2015, may the odds ever be in my favor!

-McKenzie Stepper

Well, today is the day. My flight leaves at (yelp!) MIDNIGHT! As a person who goes to bed kinda early, this will be interesting. It doesn’t feel real yet. Today just feels like a normal day. There’s nothing to indicate that I am about to leave the country for 6 weeks…aside from the packed suitcases on my floor. I honestly don’t think it will feel real until I’m there, and even then maybe not for a little bit. I am excited but not quite sure what to expect. I think it’ll be fun and I’m ready to experience what living with a host family is like. I’ve been to Mexico once before, but that was a totally different situation, so I’m going in with an open mind! I hope I don’t miss everyone here too much, but I know I will some. I am pretty much ready to go. So here’s to my new adventure!

I think my host culture in Mexico will lead me to all kinds of new learning experiences that I never could have possibly learned here in the United States. Of course with learning, there is always the possibilities of making mistakes which is something I still need to learn how to handle, even now. The fact that it will be my first time in Mexico, so far from home, makes me very uncertain and nervous. I wish I felt more excited doing the program like everyone else is, but I think I might have to wait until I am actually there and in the routine before I can assure myself everything will be fine. Nevertheless, I am happy I have the opportunity to better my Spanish and to become immersed in an environment that places much importance into it. This will be a major experience in my life, and I know it will lead to incredible progress towards becoming more mature and more capable in the career path I have set for myself. With these improved skills, I hope to not just become a better Spanish speaker with better comprehension, but also one who is capable of communicating with the family that mostly knows Spanish (I was almost never able to do so before, since I only knew English). While many emotions may envelope me, I will still try my best to make this experience a positive one.

Images: Feelings of fear, of being overwhelmed with new challenges in a new place, and feeling of hope towards triumph.

Upon arriving at the airport in Italy I was pretty tired and burnt out from the long plane ride and not being able to sleep. When walking into the airport I knew that I had to go through customs and get my bag and then find my driver to take me to my destination. There was so much going on and all these people running in different places like they usually are at airports. I flew into a rather large airport so there were tons of people. I was also warned about pickpockets so I was scared and over protective and hyper aware of my belongings and where they were at all times. The signs were in Italian and thankfully… also in English. I was excited but nervous and also just hyper aware of my surroundings. I was trying to take in everything but at the same time my senses were overloaded. Everyone seemed to be doing their own thing and had their own agendas. Everyone would just walk around someone who was in their way because they had places to be. At that point I was just so tired I wanted to get to my destination and catch up on the sleep I had missed out on. Upon arriving to my destination I was thrown into a room and told to go up the 5^th floor. My first experience of Italy was the extremely creepy elevator shown below. I had no idea how to work it at first and I wasn’t entirely sure it would hold both my luggage and myself. Driving to my destination I realized Italian drivers being crazy was no joke. There was so much traffic and honking everywhere. People would cut each other off and not let other people in. So that drive was pretty scary but on the way I saw some gorgeous buildings and monuments that I was able to quickly snap a picture of.

The actual elevator. Made out of wood.

The creepy elevator that I had no idea how to use. This was the outside cage.

A monument I passed leaving the airport.