A Room With a View

Here are what many of you have been asking for: some pictures of my place. First, here are two shots of my street, Via dei Magazzini. It's two blocks in length; the second shot shows my block. And there's my front door (#6!), as well as a shot of the front of my building. (I love the green shutters!) Yes, I'm on the top floor. There are exactly 54 steps (yes, I counted!) to climb to get to my apartment. They seem like nothing, knowing what awaits me when I open the door!

Next are two shots showing the views out of my front windows, one down my street looking north toward the Duomo and the other looking south toward the Piazza della Signoria. The tower you see is the famous Campanile, which is part of the Palazzo Vecchio. This piazza is filled with statues, including a copy of Michelangelo's David (the original is in the Accademia), and it has been the center of Florence politics since the 14th century. I've already heard two demonstrations from my place.

Next are the wooden stairs leading up to my rooftop terrace. (Yes, these steps to the terrace are actually inside my apartment and accessible only to me!) And, finally, here is what I see from that terrace. Amazing, isn't it? You can even see where I sat yesterday afternoon while preparing for class, with the Duomo peeking up in the background.

And I stayed out on the terrace until the sun went down behind the Campanile. Yes, this is life!

Waking Up in Florence!

Florence awakes to bells! I was awakened this morning at 7 a.m. sharp with the sound of bells resounding throughout the city. What a beautiful way to begin the day!

Even though my body should think it's 10 p.m., I got right up, ready to begin my first full day in Florence! I showered, which by the way reminds me of another nice discovery in my apartment: I have decent water pressure, and the water heats up quickly, two things I had been told can be very unpredictable in Florence. Then I dressed and headed down in search of breakfast. I found it in a small café by the Mercato Nuovo. Breakfast in Italy is an interesting thing to observe. First, you go to counter and pick out your pasta (which is "pastry" in Italian); then you go to a cashier to order your coffee and pay for it and your pastry. The cashier gives you a receipt, which you then take to the bar, where a barista (all men, dressed very dashingly in black double breasted suits with white shirts and ties) makes your coffee. They take coffee making very seriously here! After oberving for a while, I felt comfortable enough to do it myself, and it worked without a hitch. Italians also eat breakfast very quickly, most of them standing at the bar. The pastry disappears in seconds; the espresso, a few seconds later, and they're out the door. I sat at a small table and watched throngs of people come in, all doing the same thing. I could get used to this!

After breakfast I found a new charger for my phone. She said to charge it for about 8-10 hours, which will be perfect timing to call Chip later today, given the nine-hour time difference (which reminds me -- these postings will be time-stamped with PST; just add nine hours to see what time it was in Italy). Next, I headed over to the Piazza della Repubblica, where the school is located. Kirsty was there, and I met the staff, Ged, Fabrizio, and Norma. Everyone is so nice! Jed gave me a tour, and I had a chance to check out my classroom, which overlooks the piazza. Wow! This is going to be all right!

And here I sit in another café, which I discovered by the Piazza S. Ambrogio. I'm still a little weary from the trip, so it's relaxing sitting here, watching the world go by. The sandwiches served here are delicious, and right now they're playing Louie Armstrong. I'll be back for sure!

My Apartment in Florence!

After leaving the leasing agency, I grabbed another cab to take me to my new apartment on Via dei Magazzini, right off the Piazza della Signoria. I was to be met there by my landlord, who had only been referred to as Signor Sposato. I pictured a fairly old, possibly curmudgeonly, Italian gentleman. Imagine my surprise when this young guy in his 20s pulled up on his motorcyle! And what a nice guy he is! He lugged all of my (very heavy!) luggage up four flights up stairs; he wouldn't even allow me to touch it! I must admit I was a little concerned about what was awaiting me at first. The heavy wooden front door opened directly into a dark, narrow stairway with chipped and cracked cement steps -- not glamorous by any means! But the minute the opened the door to my apartment I fell in love!

My apartment is located on the top of floor of a building that dates back several centuries, on a narrow cobblestone street. I have a living room (with working fireplace!), a cooking "niche" (which consists of a four-burner stove, a dorm-size fridge, a toaster oven, and a sink (which is perfectly fine for me -- I'm not much of a cook!), a small dining area, a bathroom (complete with bidet!), and a small bedroom with a fairly large closet (which is a good thing for me!). But the crowning touch (literally) is a private rooftop terrace with a table and chairs and a 360-degree view of Florence. I'll be spending a lot of time up there. It also had some things I didn't expect, including a television (Italian channels only) and a washing machine (but no dryer, which is typical in Italian apartments). Yes, I'll be hanging my clothes out to dry! And towels, piles of towels! Everyone told me that towels are never provided, so this came as a surprise. I had even brought a small set of my own!

I have windows everywhere, all overlooking narrow streets and tiled rooftops. And Signor Sposato has decorated it beautifully with antiques. He even added special touches to prepare for my visit: potpourri in every room, a basket of chocolates, and a basket of hotel-like amenities in the bathroom. I think I lucked out in the landlord department!

After unpacking and settling in, it was time to call Chip. I got through for about 20 seconds (so I know my phone works), but then it went dead. I tried to recharge it, but it appeared that my charger wasn't working. Wanting desperately to call him back, I headed out to the neighborhood in search of a phone. I never found one, but I did find an Internet café, which was better than nothing. But I've got to find a new charger!

After chatting online with Chip, I wandered the neighborhood around Piazza della Signoria, until I found a small pizza place for dinner. It was really good; of course, I think anything would have tasted good at that point! I then walked around a little more, buying a few apartment necessities along the way. One thing I noticed is that the streets of Florence are filled with student, most of whom seem to be American. Our students are going to feel right at home!

The Airport and Beyond

We woke up on Sunday to a gray drizzly San Francisco morning, appropriate given that I was about to say goodbye to my husband for several weeks (seven to be exact). We had breakfast at the Seal Rock Inn, down by Ocean Beach, and then drove along the ocean toward SFO, without a doubt the most scenic way to get to the airport. I won't be seeing this ocean for a while!

We arrived at the airport about an hour before the check-in counter opened. At $1 for every 12 minutes of parking, we both decided that Chip shouldn't wait! So we said our goodbyes and, although I didn't think it would happen, I got rather misty as I watched him walk away, turning around for one last wave several times. I will miss him so much!

The check-in counter finally opened, and I soon learned that my two suitcases were a bit too heavy (this is an understatement actually!). The extra cost was outrageous (almost $500), but a nice woman at the Lufthansa counter told me that I could purchase a box, throw some of my things in there, and pay for an extra piece of luggage, which was substantially cheaper (about $100). Good thing I arrived at the airport with lots of time to spare. I really didn't plan to have to repack!

And suddenly I was on the plane bound for Italy (via Frankfurt). It was an extremely long (11 hours) but uneventful flight. The two passengers in my row were thankfully silent, which allowed me a lot of time to read and to try sleep. The seats were extremely small without much legroom (even for me!), but the flight attendants went out of their way to make the flight comfortable -- hot towels, free drinks, two full meals, and a couple of movies. Even so, the flight seemed unbearably long. We finally reached Frankfurt, and it was wonderful just to get up to stretch my legs. However, I had less than an hour before my flight to Florence left, so I had to hustle. I breezed through customs, which amounted to nothing but a quick glance at my boarding pass and an immediate stamp. I expected much more!

The flight to Florence was about one hour and ten minutes, and what a flight it was. I dozed a bit in the beginning, and when I opened my eyes, I was staring out over the Alps, completely covered in snow. I've dreamed my whole life of seeing the Alps, and to see them from the air like this was too spectacular for words. And a short while later, we were flying fairly low over the Tuscan countryside. It looked just like all the photos I've seen: the palatial villas, the vineyards on the hillsides, and those wonderful, graceful cypress trees lining curving drives.

And then we touched down in Florence. Everything was a breeze. I grabbed my luggage (all three pieces made it!), put it on a cart, and wheeled it right out of the airport to the taxi stand. I first had to go by the leasing company to complete some paperwork. The ride was an E-ticket ride (that's one of the cultural references that is soon losing its meaning, isn't it?). My driver flew down impossibly narrow cobblestone streets with only slivers of sidewalk, with other cars, bicycles, and pedestrians all vying for a position. We had several close calls, which frightened me, but didn't seem to faze anyone else involved. I know that soon I'll be aggressively walking down those same streets!

This Is It!

Yes, this is really it! Tomorrow I will board a plane for a semester in Florence. After over a year of planning, it's hard to believe that this day has finally arrived.

And after all the socializing this week, Chip and I dedicated this weekend to each other. Last night we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Albona. Albona is the only Istrian restaurant on the West coast, and one of the few in the entire country. Istrian food is really Italian with Austrian, Hungarian, Slavic, Spanish, French, Jewish, Greek, and Turkish influences, resulting in unique, delicious dishes. We've been going here for years. Even better than the food is Bruno, the owner, who is proud of his Istrian upbringing and, in his charming way, educates all of his guests about this special place in the world. He and his wonderful staff gave me a great send-off!

Today was extremely laid back. I actually had a short-term online class that ended yesterday, so I spent the morning calculating and inputting grades. Then Chip and I met at Union Square and went for a sushi lunch. (I doubt I'll get a lot of good sushi in Florence!) Then we just walked back to Macondray Lane slowly, enjoying the city. Tonight we're staying home, just to be alone. Our last evening will consist of ordering in Chinese, sitting by the fire, and watching a movie. I can't think of a more perfect evening.

Truthfully, it hasn't hit me yet that I'm actually leaving for three-and-a-half months. I don't know what tomorrow will be like. I can't imagine being apart from Chip for so long. Not only is he my husband, but he's my best friend. I'm going to miss you, sweetheart!

Well, I'm off to enjoy the evening. My next post will be from Florence. (It's unbelievable that I'm even able to write that!)

An Italian Reunion

Back during the fall of 2004, long before I knew that I was going to apply to teach in Florence, I decided to take a conversational Italian class through the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club. This private club, which only pure-bred Italians can join, offers classes to the general public.

The first night our instructor Joanna encouraged us to form study groups. We all looked around, not knowing each other at all, and somehow six of us gravitated to one another. We decided that first night that the best way to study would be over a good Italian meal, and so began our tradition. Every Monday night, the six of us met before class to have dinner. We had just two rules: the restaurant had to be Italian, and we had to dine at a different restaurant each night. What fun it was! I can't say that we got a lot of studying done, but we formed a bond that has lasted all this time. Although we lost Kristen somewhere along the way, the remaining five (Mary Anne, Elizabeth, Elaine, Sachi, and I) have continued to stay in touch and to get together regularly. And what better excuse this time than the fact that I was about to head to Italy for the semester!

We met at a fairly new trattoria in the Mission called Caffé Vogalonga that serves up authentic Italian cuisine. Over plates of antipasti, pasta, grilled meats, and desserts (and of course a couple bottles of wine), we caught up on our lives. (The last time we got together was about a year ago at my place in San Francisco, where we ordered pizza, drank wine, and watched Ciao Professore, so we had a lot of catching up to do!) And there was lots of exciting news! Elaine got engaged last May while on a cruise to Hawaii and was married in October during Fleet Week, her favorite time of the year. Elizabeth got engaged while in Paris and is planning a very special wedding. Sachi has a great business opportunity in Seattle, but she's promised to fly back for our future get-togethers. And Mary Anne just continues loving life! In fact, she's now even thinking about coming to Florence while I'm there. (Mary Anne, go for it!)

It was a fantastic evening! The next time we're together will be in May when I return. We plan to sit on Elizabeth's roof of her home on Russian Hill, drink wine, and enjoy the view and, most of all, each other's company. Ciao, amiche!

Happy Hours and Marvelous Meals

No one can say that I'm not properly fueled for my long plane ride to Italy! This week has been one of goodbyes and celebrations, all accompanied by good food and wine.

It started Monday with lunch at the Lark Creek Cafe with Pauline Witts and Richey Bologni. Pauline's grandson Ben and Richey's son John are DVC students who will be going to Florence. Pauline is an amazing women who knows Italy intimately and loves to help people make the most of their time there. Not only was she a guest speaker for our study abroad preparation class, but she has freely offered her services to the students and their friends and family, many of whom will be visiting during our time abroad. In addition, Pauline's daughter (Ben's aunt) runs a cooking school in Florence. I'll definitely be checking that out!

On Tuesday I spent some time at my sister-in-law Marialice Kern's house. She and her boyfriend Glenn (who, interestingly, is the father of one of my students at DVC) spoiled me with an excellent bottle of wine and some tasty appetizers. As I was leaving, they even told me that they're thinking of coming over for a visit while I'm there. (You two should definitely do it!) Next on the agenda was dinner with Chip's parents and his brother. My mother-in-law cooked a wonderful meal, and most of the conversation centered on our Germany plans. It's going to be quite a time!

Now, on to Wednesday, which started with our monthly faculty happy hour at the Left Bank. James O'Keefe started these happy hours last year as part of the DVC Restoration Project, and they've become something I look forward to every month. (Thanks, James, for planning this one before I left. We missed you!)

As if hanging out with my colleagues wasn't enough, at one point I glanced up as the front door opened, and in piled six DVC students, all members of the DVC Business Club, for which I serve as faculty advisor. For several weeks they've been planning to surprise me, and it definitely worked. They all chipped in for a bottle of wine (from Tuscany of course!) and a book about the foods and wines of Tuscany. I guess they know me well! I also hope they know that I will always treasure that moment when they walked through the door. Thanks, guys!

After happy hour I picked Chip up at the BART station, and we went over to Toni Fannin's for dinner. Toni is an amazing cook and served us a fabulous Italian meal. She will be bringing her six-year-old daughter and her father with her to Italy, so this gave us all a chance to get to know one another. Her father is a retired judge, and my lawyer husband really hit it off with him! (Thanks, Toni, for getting us all together!)

And the celebrations are not over yet...

The Lasts

Now that my departure to Italy is just a few days away, I find myself looking at things rather differently. It seems that I've been thinking in terms of "lasts" -- my last time on campus, my last time preparing a meal for my family, my last time eating at my favorite restaurant, and, yes, my last full weekend in the Bay Area.

But that final full weekend was fabulous. Chip and I had dinner last Friday night at our favorite restaurant in North Beach, Tommaso's. We've been coming here for over 16 years, and they really do make us feel like family. This is such a special, family-run restaurant that's been around since the 1930. In fact, it's home to the first wood-burning oven on the west coast! But I think my sister can describe it the best. This is from Susan Smith's book Journey Across America: Stories From the Road, which chronicles her family's one-year adventure in a trailer during which they visited all 50 states.

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Chapter 39: "We're With Her"

As we arrived at the restaurant [Tommaso's], we noticed a line coming out the door that looked like a one- to two-hour wait. I told Carolyn I didn't think the kids [four of them!] would make it two hours in line. Not to worry she assured me as she breezed to the front and was treated like a celebrity walking in the door. The owners came up to Carolyn, embracing her, and immediately finding a seat for our large group. It was one of those moments where the owners are clapping their hands to get the staff busy making sure things went smoothly for this visit. As we followed her in awe, we commented to the questioning folks waiting in line that we were with her.

Carolyn proceeded to order so much food that we were having trouble fitting all the dishes on the table. No wonder they loved her here. I am sure she contributed significantly to their bottom line. We had a feast and all wobbled home to the "Mac Pad," as they affectionately call their San Francisco home.

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Well, perhaps she exaggerated a bit, but Tommaso's really is a special place, and our meal this last night was no exception. The best news is that the owners of Tommaso's have family members who own a restaurant and winery on Lake Como. You can bet that we'll be making a trip up there!

The weekend continued on Saturday with a half-day orientation for the study abroad students at the College of San Mateo. It went really smoothly, and I think a lot of parents' minds were put at ease. AIFS is extremely well-organized and a class act. It was also great seeing all of my students again after the holiday. After the orientation, the faculty, AIFS staff, and consortium members went out for a Mexican feast.

And then it was back home to see my husband and stepson Jake. This was the saddest "last" so far as Jake had to go back to his mom's house in Sacramento on Sunday and won't be back again before I leave for Italy. So we just hung around the house, watching playoff football and enjoying each other's company. But if you have to say goodbye, here's a great way to do it, "Bye, kiddo, I'll see you in Paris."

Yes, the next time I see Jake will be in Paris. He's been taking French for the past few years and will be spending his spring break in Paris with his French class. Chip and I will pick him up in Paris on his last day and then hop on a train for Heidelberg, Germany, where we'll meet Chip's dad and brother. It's then a three-generations-of-Seefer-men road trip across southern German, and I get to tag along for four of those days. You can bet that I'll be reporting on that trip!

Heading to North Beach!

As The Inquirer article mentioned, the last night of our study abroad preparation class was spent in North Beach San Francisco's Italian neighborhood. We all boarded the 3:02 BART train (or thereabouts) in Pleasant Hill and headed for San Francisco. Once everyone arrived, I led them on a walking tour from the Embarcadero BART station, through Sidney Walton Square, and over to North Beach. The weather was cold and damp, but that didn't stop anyone, although some students did think I walked too fast. I told them that they'll have to get used to that in Florence as they'll be walking everywhere!


Along the way we stopped at the Beat Museum, Caffé Trieste, Saints Peter and Paul Church, Washington Square, and, of course, Stella Pasticceria. Why Stella? For our last class meeting on campus, I brought one of Stella's famous Sacripantina cakes. This decadent wonder created with vanilla sponge cake, zabaione, cream, and rum was a hit with everyone. In fact, that was the one stop everyone wanted to make on our walking tour. Approximately 20 of us bombarded the poor woman behind the counter, but she handled our orders with good cheer.


And then we headed across the street to Franchino for our authentic Italian dinner. Franchino, named for its proprietor, is probably the most authentic Italian restaurant in North Beach. Franchino's wife does the cooking, his daughter Franchina waits tables, and Franchino himself schmoozes with the guests and sings opera. It's an amazing experience. Our group of 30 almost completely filled this little restaurant on Columbus Avenue, and Franchino and his family did everything they could to make us feel special. We had an absolutely delicious four-course meal: we started with the pasta course (spaghetti carbonara), moved on the meat course (chicken saltimbocca or veal picatta), then had the insalata mista (in Italy the salad is served after the main course as a sort of palate cleanser), and finally homemade tiramisu. And throughout the meal, Franchino strutted, flirted with the ladies, and sang.

At one point he turned off all the lights and made all the men go out front. He then said, "Ladies, gather around me." We, of course, were wondering what he was up to, and we soon learned. For suddenly Franchino began to serenade little Molly (Toni Fannin's daughter; Toni is the other DVC faculty member going to Florence) with a beautiful Italian aria. What a treat for her!

Several hours later we sadly left Franchino, but with happy memories and very full stomachs! It's an evening none of us will forget, thanks to Franchino and his wonderful family.

If you'd like to see the transcript for the walking tour, complete with historical notes, click here: North Beach Walking Tour.

And, of course, the pictures here say it all. Just think, eight weeks before these were taken, these students didn't even know each other. La vita è bella!

We Made the Paper!

The first day of the study abroad preparation class, we were thrilled to have a reporter and a photographer from The Inquirer, the DVC student newspaper, show up to write a feature story about the class. Because the paper doesn't yet place its articles online, I'll place it here. I should note that the reporter spelled my first name wrong (not to mention Raychel Cooke's first and last name and John Bologni's last name), but I think it's a pretty good article anyway!

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The Inquirer
Volume 69, Number 4
Friday, October 27, 2006
By Damascus Triola
Staff Writer

It's a student's dream class.

No tests, grading solely on attendance, class snacks of Italian sodas, biscotti's, wafers and other treats.

And the best part?

You board a plane for Florence after the semester ends.

"Florence: Preparing for Your Study Abroad Trip" is the latest addition to DVC's roster of classes. And it's geared towards students traveling to Italy with American Institute for Foreign Study at the end of the winter break.

"I didn't want to feel stupid when I got over there," said Rachel Cook of her upcoming semester abroad. "So this is a good experience to learn about the culture."

At the first meeting of BUS-150P last week, instructor Caroline Seefer explained why she offered the class.

"Students didn't feel prepared enough for the experience," she said, "and when they came back many thought they could have gotten more from their trips had they been better prepared."

The preparatory course is more like a "pre-trip" than academic class.

It meets once a week, and students spend each three-hour session listening to guest speakers, watching art slides and documentaries or enjoying general videos on Florence and Italy as a whole.

"I wanted to take the class to prepare the best I could and to meet people," said Meaghan Gates.

Seefer will also be a teacher in Florence next semester. "This is a great way for faculty to meet students who will be going on the trip," she said.

The class encourages student-to-student and student-to-teacher bonding, but its central focus is Italian culture.

Before the semester ends, the class will travel to San Francisco's North Beach and dine at an authentic Italian restaurant.

Some BUS-150P students aren't even going to Florence next semester. They are taking the class just because they're interested in Italy or want to travel there sometime in the future.

One student even signed up by mistake. "I thought it was required," Jon Bologno said.

Courses similar to this may be offered in the future for other study abroad trips, depending on faculty and student interest.

The semester-length study abroad trips cost around $6,000 and include locations in London, Paris, and Florence. The shorter summer trips to Spain and China cost around $4,000.

Faculty from Bay Area community colleges generally teach the academic classes, while AIFS coordinates the study abroad trips.

Classes taken abroad are both CSU and UC transferable and include courses like Shakespeare, critical thinking, Italian or French, international business and many more.

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Student Preparation

There was another first for the Study Abroad program at DVC this time around. For the first time ever, a course was offered to help students prepare for their trip abroad. Shortly after being selected for the program, I attended the annual Association for Business Communication convention in Irvine, California. One of the breakout sessions I attended was conducted by Elizabeth A. Tuleja, a professor with The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. During the presentation she shared her experiences taking a group of MBA students to China for four weeks as part of the Wharton Global Immersion Program (GIP). This was an already-well-traveled group of students, yet when debriefed after the trip, they overwhelmingly said that their experience would have been richer had they prepared more before the trip. A lightbulb went off! Imagine how much richer DVC students' experience in Florence could be if they were better prepared ahead of time.

Using ideas gained in this workshop, I immediately went to work to develop a 9-week course titled "Florence: Preparing for Your Study Abroad Trip." My dean, Krista Johns, was extremely supportive of the course, as were the faculty in the Business Division. It was a go!

We, of course, weren't sure what the response would be to the course. After all, nothing like this had ever been offered before. What a surprise it was for all of us when 36 students enrolled, including 2 students who weren't even going to Florence!

So what did we do in the course? A little bit of everything. Through guest speakers, videos, and student presentations, students learned about the history, culture, literature, music, art, food, language, and etiquette of Italy. They also learned practicalities, such as currency, what to pack, health issues, and being a successful study abroad student. You can check out the complete syllabus here to get an even better idea of the course content: BUS 150-P Course Syllabus.

But probably the best thing to come out of the course is that these students got to know one another. Many became great friends and have arranged to room together in Florence. These are friendships that will probably last a lifetime. And I must admit that I got just as much out of the course as they did. I now know this group of students well -- and I know for sure that I have one great group of people to spend the semester in Florence with!

Italian for Beginners

One of the first things I did after learning that I was going to teach in Florence was to enroll in a beginning Italian class at DVC with Franco Guidone. I ended up taking two full semesters of Italian with Franco. Am I fluent? Far from it! But I feel that I learned enough to get by: I can read and write sufficiently, I have a decent vocabulary, and I have a good understanding of proper Italian grammar. My hope is that once I'm in Florence, I'll improve my speaking skills through immersion. I plan to practice every chance I get!

But back to the class. One thing I learned is that Franco has an incredible gift for teaching. This class met every day for an hour, and for two full semesters, I couldn't wait to get to class every day. And the reason I looked forward to going to class each day was Franco. He made the class come alive, with his humor, his knowledge, and his obvious love for his students. And his students returned that love.

Testament to that came at the end of the Fall 2006 semester when the entire class secretly planned an end-of-semester party in Franco's honor. We pitched in for gifts, we brought baked goods, and we all wore Italian red. Franco seemed truly moved.

And during the year I spent in Franco's class, I learned what I affectionately call "Francoisms." Here are just a few:

1. Giorno! (Said loudly and brusquely upon entering the classroom each day)
2. This WILL be on the test!
3. This mayyyyyy be on the test!
4. Help Seefer out here, she's drowning!
5. Give it up for Norton, who's early for tomorrow's class (said each time a student was late for class, followed by a rousing "Woo hoo hoo")
6. Piece 'a cake!

I've been out of class for only a few short weeks now, and already I'm suffering from withdrawal. Thanks, Franco, for preparing me so well!

Applying to Teach Abroad

Now that the Florence Study Abroad trip is nearly upon us, I can't help but think back to when I first applied to teach in the program in September 2005. So many people encouraged me to apply, including my husband and my parents. I had thought about doing so for years, and that semester suddenly felt like the right time. I remember talking with my dad about whether I should apply for London, Florence, or both. He said, in all his wisdom, "You've been to London, and although it would be a fascinating trip, Florence would allow your students to study in a completely different cultural environment." He was right, as he so often is, and I decided to apply only for Florence.

I knew that my biggest obstacle would be my discipline. You see, in the 20-year history of the Study Abroad program at DVC, business courses had never been offered as part of the curriculum. Interestingly, knowing this obstacle allowed me to put to use what I always teach my students in Business Communications: Look at any document from the reader's perspective. Try to anticipate how they'll react to what you're saying. If you anticipate any resistance, face it head on and do whatever you can to overcome it.

Well, I knew there would be resistance, so approaching it head on is exactly what I did. Not only did I mention it throughout my essay, but I even included a cover letter that brought this issue up immediately. I then did everything I could to prove that business belonged in the study abroad curriculum, which is something I believe in strongly. I guess it worked, because a week from tomorrow I'm heading to Florence!

Curious about the application that won a spot in this competitive program? You can check it out here: Study Abroad Faculty Application, Florence 2007

Ten More Days!

In exactly ten days, I'll be boarding a plane to take off on the adventure of a lifetime. This study abroad experience in Florence, Italy, has been in the works for so long that it's hard to believe it's finally here!

I first applied to teach in DVC's Study Abroad program in September 2005, and I found out that I'd been selected in October 2005. Ever since I have immersed myself in all that it Italy! I took two semesters of Italian, have read countless books on Italy, have watched numerous films in that take place in Italy, and have actively recruited and assisted students in preparing for their trip abroad (more on that later!).

I'm ready!!