This will not be my first trip to Europe.  I have already been to Italy with the Exchange program (last year).  I’m sure that if I do not take these chances to go while I have them, I will probably not get the chance to go again.

When I went my 10^th grade year I had a life-changing experience, not a drastic one but it still made me look at things a little differently.  Getting to stay with a great host family and being able to become friends with some really great people.  Having my life-style change completely and having to go through and make changes was really something that I will cherish throughout my entire life.

Also, getting to travel around to different countries, seeing all of those old historic sights and listen to all of the different languages going on around me.   Seeing buildings thousands of years old changed my idea of what old was very quickly.  When you’re in a different language speaking country you begin to pick up on the language and your dialect becomes more enhanced.  I would really like to go back to be able to enhance the process.

I know that this year the students who are in the exchange get to go into Germany.  I am going into German four in school, and I have always wanted to visit Germany and go there to improve my speaking skills.  Even if for a day or two I would love to go enjoy the German culture and see the beautiful sites.

The more you go to a place the more knowledge you pick up the longer you are there.  I would just like to further my Italian speaking/culture abilities.  I do not want to have the things I have already learned since last year to go to waste either, and because this exchange is the only way I’ll be able to go to Italy any time soon, I would really enjoy to be able to go back and use what I learned the first time.

One of the biggest reasons I would like to return would be for the food.  The food over there is so delicious and I miss it very much.  Getting to have espresso and cappuccino everyday, that I’ve been craving, and all of those tasty pasta dishes.  I also miss getting to walk everywhere to go shopping to buy stuff in the market.

Now, a little about myself for those who are wondering.  My name is Brittany Kay Miller and I am going to be an 11^th grader this fall at Hampshire High School.  I am in the Drama Club, Dance Club, and I play soccer.  These are some of my favorite activities to do.  I can pretty much get involved in any kind of activity and enjoy it.  I especially like to walk around, and I know there is a lot of walking involved in Italy.

I’m not very diverse when it comes to music just as long as it is not rap or country (yuck!).  I am mostly into rock/punk/ska.  Ska is actually my favorite music.  It is pretty much rock with a brass section.  I love listening to Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, etc.

I am the oldest child in my family.  I have a little sister, Tiffany, who is 12, and a little brother, John, who is about a half a year old.  I always get stuck babysitting; it sometimes gets annoying, almost as annoying as my sister.

I don’t really have a favorite kind of food; I’ll eat just about anything that you give me to eat so it doesn’t really matter.

That is a little about myself so you can get to know me and the reasons why I would like to return to Italy on the Italian Exchange this coming year.