I have officially been in Italy for a month and a half, and I couldn’t be enjoying my time abroad more! My weeks have been filled with classes, traveling on the weekend, teaching English to some Italian friends, and getting used to life here in Arezzo Italy. My good friend and roommate, Adriana, always talk about how a year ago, I would have never imagined myself studying abroad for a whole semester. I kept going back and forth between actually taking the step to move away for four months. Now that I’m here, I couldn’t imagine not coming! I know I would have been filled with remorse and regret. It has been a whirlwind of experiences, memories, and lots of lessons being learned.

The list of places I have traveled to so far has been endless (Venice, Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Padua, & more!). In a few weeks, I’ll be attending Spring Break in Santorini, Greece, and then flying to the south of France…WHAT?! Life is so cool, and I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given to live out my dream of traveling! Sometimes, my semester abroad feels like a complete vacation (but don’t tell that to my mom). Even though I have been traveling around the world, I have made sure to keep my classes a priority.

At OU Arezzo, I am taking Art History, Migration to Italy, and an Italian Cultural Literacy class. I have thoroughly enjoyed traveling to many different places for Art History (next week, we get to see the statue of David created by Michelangelo…I may pass out). In our Migration to Italy class, we learn about Italians who have migrated to different countries, and people who are migrating to Italy as well. Our Italian Cultural Literacy class focuses on learning the Italian language and the history of Italy, specifically in Arezzo. My classes have kept me incredibly engaged, and I love being able to learn from some of the greatest professors OU has to offer. The learning environment at OUA truly adds to the experience of studying abroad.

The friends I have made here in Italy are some of the coolest people I have ever met! Being able to travel the world together, or study for midterms at our favorite brunch voucher place (Bar Stefano, yum) has kept the homesickness at bay. We have created timeless memories together, and we still have two months to go! I cannot wait to see what the rest of this semester brings. My next update will be after my lovely week spent on the islands of Greece!

Ciao bella!

Blessing Ikpa

The University of Oklahoma ‘16

Criminology & Human Relations