I’ve always found the concept of writing a blog relatively strange. The likelihood of anyone apart from family and friends reading has always been extremely low in my mind. Not to start with a pessimistic tone, but purely because they will have been the unlucky ones to have been bombarded with emails or texts containing the link to said blog posts… (I apologise in advance!) Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always wanted to write! I’ve always scribbled down random ideas and thoughts on topics to write about; from travel to scientific theories, from film to food. However, before I dub myself the next Steven Hawkins or Gordon Ramsay, I should probably start…

I’m Sophia and currently aged 20 I am about to start my third year at the University of Exeter. However, this year is a bit different compared to most of my friends as I am going to spend my year abroad!

My degree is German and Italian, but as I was an Italian ab initio student for first year, I am required to spend a minimum of seven months in the wonderful country that is Italy. I know, poor me! Just so you pity me even more, I’ve secured a place at Universita Ca’Foscari, Venice…poor me!

These past few weeks leading up to Venice have been interesting . The on going battle of fear v. excitement. Then we have the next conundrum: my Italian. I’m going to be honest, it could probably be better but alas, that’s why I’m going! I’ve managed to arrange what should hopefully be a lovely apartment with four other students; three Italians and another international student. ‘Surely they speak English?’ has been directed at almost everyone I’ve told about said apartment and is my attempt at self-reassurance. But seriously, they will speak English, right?!

Anyway, enough of that. The whole point of this is to show (and make sure) that I fulfil my promise to myself to become more cultured and traveled etc. and of course to make sure I stay in touch with all of you some how! Hopefully I’ll be able to write about a range of topics and have lots of pretty pictures to go with it! 

Thank you for reading, I apologise in advance if I ramble. 

© S R D HILL