Why Pisa?

No, first… why Erasmus? – Well because it was a challenge for me during my first year at the University and I couldn’t imagine myself traveling for one major purpose of studying abroad. I must admit that I need one year to get used to the idea of doing something I am kind afraid of.

But let’s talk about challenges – what they represent, what happened to me when I accepted them in my life and how I won (because I’m not joining a game with the idea of losing it) a new situation.

In this case, a programme like Erasmus was – still is – a matter of time: hear the idea somewhere, ask yourself about seeing you doing it, say no because it’s easy, reflect a bit on this, change your mind having no idea why (it takes a moment or some months) and finally say to yourself “Okay, YOLO”.

That was my situation and I won’t blame if you add more words after YOLO!

In my enthusiastic stubbornness, I wouldn’t have changed my plan for the world!

Once this way chosen, there were no other reasons to make me change this path… so I started with the papers, lots of documents, lots of “come here/go there” or “come tomorrow” and so many questions.

Two important questions happened in my mind: where to go and what to choose? I red, re-redand red again the list of possibilities, the long list of Universities and I tried to see myself as “that country” student. France – no, I cannot pronounce those words, my tongue refused to curve in that way; Germany –nein! (Okay, that was easy), some Universities that didn’t have my field of study/interest, and Italy with nice places, landscapes, architecture and art (most important for me), full of history, full of good food and that ice-cream!... nice language (and lovely gestures), good weather, positive people and I should stop here because you got the point.

Choosing the courses was relative easy, I wanted to study about their culture, history and of course, art. No major problems here, so let’s go further to the hardest part, the interview! Yes, I have little problems (I’m kind with me) with public speaking and I still consider it an impossible step –after so many public experiences – but anyway, the point is that I had to wait about five hours to hear my name and take that interview… It was both good and bad; I was working in that period and my boss waited for me enough, I told her “It won’t take more than two hours, not even…” – yes, maybe two hours measuring the time in a different way – and the interview last about ten minutes. All good tho!

After a few weeks of waiting in which I stopped any work with documents, stopped any form of activity, I found that I had to prepare my luggage and take my flight to my destination. Since then months have passed so quickly and I cannot describe exactly what I’ve done, it was all in fast-forward. I’ve had courses, readied the documents, luggage, and lived like it was my last day every outing, parties and moments with friends and then I arrive in Pisa.

What a shock! To come enthusiastically, free and filled with energy, not knowing where to start, what to see and how to learn the streets faster (like that was a problem) who the befriend, how to handle the groceries, not knowing where the shops are, not knowing anything after all. Then I got up, brushed by coat and took everything with baby-steps, I had to prove to myself that I can, others did it before, I have to do it better.

I took the map which I spoke about in the last article about Museo della Grafica and I drew my own road, home – the university and few points to guide myself, then I started weekly to go on other streets which tied to the principal one and so on until I learned how to handle things. I made the performance of learning shortcuts! Who wouldn’t wish that?!

In another order of the discourse, I have to answer: why Pisa? The University here was the best fit for me and my speciality from my home country, the courses offered were a good and interesting and distracted me in the diversity and the way they covered information, details and the way they were taught. Tutto bene!

I chose Pisa for the area it’s in, Tuscany is superb and I don’t believe I could give any negative examples about the scenery and objectives that await you! Plus it’s relatively close to Rome which is even better!

No “Grand Tour” mustn’t break the saying “All roads lead to Rome” so I followed the saying and fulfilled my quest and dream, Rome has to be discovered daily.

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