Second Week in Sorrento: 

For the first few days of my second week in Sorrento, I was busy with work and my class. I reached a big milestone at work this week, I finally answered the phone! Although the task seems simple, answering the phone at a five-star hotel in a foreign langue is very daunting to me. After rehearsing the phrase "Relais Chateaux Bellevue Syrene boungiorno sono Juliana" over and over again it was time to finally put it to use. When the phone rang, I looked at my supervisor with a hesitant glance, turned towards the phone with a shaky hand, took a deep breath, and recited the phrase. Part of me was hoping that the caller would be an English speaker but the universe decided to challenge me and gave me an Italian speaker. The caller spoke very quickly but I understood what they wanted and answered to the best of my abilities. As I placed the phone back into the receiver, my supervisor said "brava Juliana!" and I felt a massive sense of relief overcome me. After that first phone call, I felt as if I could do anything. I no longer felt an overwhelming sense of doom every time the phone rang. I felt confident in my Italian abilities, and most importantly, I was confident in myself. 

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In class this week, we learned about religion, migration in Europe, and Salerno and Paestum. In our lecture about religion we learned about some of the important religious festivals that take place in Sorrento. Religion is very important for this small town as it brings the community together through a collective faith and passion for celebrating Catholicism. In our lesson about Migration, we discussed how Europe has been handling the influx of Migrants from the Middle East and Africa. For our final lecture, we learned about Southern Italy being part of Ancient Greece. We also discussed World War 2 and the role Salerno played in it. 

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We also took a day trip to Paestum where we saw Greek ruins. It was amazing to see these ruins in Southern Italy. We also visited a buffalo farm where Mozzarella di Bufala is made. The Salerno area is famous for this type of mozzarella so I was very excited to try different buffalo products. After a delicious lunch at the buffalo farm, we visited a World War 2 cemetery in Salerno. The Cemetery honored all of the Allies who died on Italian Armistice Day as they entered Italy through Salerno. 

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This weekend I travelled back to Naples to attend the Opera! I was so excited to watch The Barber of Seville in Teatro San Carlo, the oldest opera house in the world. As soon as I stepped inside the theater I felt as if I was transported back in time. The walls and curtains were covered in intricate gold designs and embroidery. When I thought the theater could not get any more beautiful, I looked up at the ceiling. The massive ceiling was covered in a breathtaking fresco. After the opera, we explored I Quartieri Spangioli, a neighborhood in Naples. The next day we did some shopping and headed back to Sorrento on the Circumvesuviana. When I first rode the local train from Naples to Sorrento two weeks ago I was anxious and scared. The Circumvesuviana has a reputation for being dirty and very dangerous, so as a young female (first-time) solo traveller I was very worried to ride it alone. I remember clutching onto my suitcase the entire ride, making sure I was aware of my surroundings at all times. Yet, two weeks later I felt comfortable using the train. During the train ride back to Naples I reflected on how much I have grown throughout these past two weeks. From conquering my fear of answering the phone and mastering the unpredictability of the Circumvesuviana, I gained a sense of confidence that I did not know I had. After only two weeks of being here, I have grown immensely. I am excited for what the rest of my journey holds!

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