More Than a Twinkle

I have always loved languages....well, love is strong word, but I enjoyed learning them to a point. Junior year of high school I dropped French IV, because that shit was getting real. But I could not let go of language, so I switched to Latin! For two years I conjugated verbs...us i o um o, etc. Of course, UVM had a language requirement so I took semester of French and passed! Transferring to BU, I knew i wanted to spend a semester abroad. London and other English speaking countries did not appeal to me, and the idea of learning Spanish and Portugese was a little overwhelming. Those countries didn't speak to me. But, my closest friends at the time were of Italian descent, and Italy, well, Italy checked of lots of boxes, Romance language, Europe, the ladies....I was 19, what did I know. In hindsight, Israel would have been amazing, but I have no regrets. There was only one problem. I did not speak Italian; so I promptly enrolled in Italian I and then Italian II, and applied was accepted to a program in Milan sponsored by the Institute for European Studies out of Chicago. It was a small program, maybe 20 kids. What attracted me to it was the fact that Milan in 1990 was practically devoid of Americans (other than fashion models, I would learn later). In fact, the only other program for American students in Milan was one sponsored through Bocconi University, which I found out would Mike G.'s home for his semester abroad.