My name is Kylie Armstrong, I am a sophomore at College of Charleston with a major in elementary education and a minor in mathematics. I have been accepted into the FYE spring break study abroad program called “Let’s Eat in Italy and Write About it Too” and am thrilled to be studying abroad for the first time. I chose to apply for this program because I have family from Italy and have always dreamed of traveling there. I grew up living with my Italian great-grandmother who taught me all about cooking and baking, which quickly became one of my favorite hobbies. I would make traditional Italian foods and desserts with her all the time and was always her helper in the kitchen even when I was in preschool. When I learned that CofC was offering a study abroad program where students travel across Tuscany and Umbria to learn about the local food and processes through which they are made from farm to table, I knew I wanted to apply. I am so glad to be able to be a part of this experience because it combines my love for cooking and Italian food with my goals of traveling and studying abroad. I actually got into the program last year before it was canceled due to covid, so I was really relieved to learn that it would be happening again this year and that I would have another chance to go. I am so excited to be there and to learn more about the traditional foods and how to make them because food is such a big part of every culture. I believe that learning about other cultures and being able to appreciate them is a very important skill to have, especially as someone who will be working with people all throughout my life. As an elementary education major, I am striving to become the type of teacher who connects with all their students and embraces their differences. Part of this includes helping students to embrace their own diverse cultures and identities, and this trip will help me to do that because it will expose me to a new culture. My main goals for the trip are to learn more about Italian culture through the food and to develop my writing skills by writing about things I am passionate about.