Traveling to Italy with my classmates would be a dream come true for me.  I have always wanted to visit new places, and Italy is on my list.  I think this would be a great experience.  I would learn so much from this trip.  I would observe their culture and compare it to ours.  I would engage in every activity my host family participated in.  I would be willing to try new things, and I would be on my best behavior with or without supervision.

          When the Italian students were here at Hampshire, I talked to a few of them.  All of them seemed to have interesting lives.  Ever since I spoke to them, I have wanted to go to Italy.  I would feel so privileged to go.  Not everyone has a chance like this.

          I live in Purgitsville, a small-unincorporated town in West Virginia.  There are about 1,000 residents.  I enjoy the quiet area.  I live with my mom, dad, brother, and 19+ animals.  I have 5 gerbils, 2 dogs, 2 rabbits, and 11+ cats.  Only the gerbils stay inside.  I love small animal!

          Another thing I love is school.  Even though I say I don’t want to be there, I really do because I want to learn.  When I see my report card and it has good grades on it, it makes me feel so good inside because I know I worked and earned those grades.  I like to be challenged.  When a teacher gives me a new assignment and I look at it first, confused, I just sit there and try to figure it out the best I can.  When I finally am able to do it and understand it, I feel proud of myself.  It’s the best feeling in the world.

          After I finish school, I plan to attend college.  I’m not sure what I want to do with my life yet.  I’m interested in cosmetology.  It would be a dream to work for a beauty magazine like Allure.  Going to Italy can help me by letting me see the fashions, hair, and make-up of people there.  It is extraordinary to see the fashions and hairstyles of other cultures.

          In my spare time I like to read, cook, swim, take pictures, and shop (when I have the money).  I like to read poetry and biographies.  A book I enjoy and am currently reading is Fallen Angels.  It is about the lives and untimely deaths of 14 Hollywood beauties.  A hobby I would like to pursue when I am older is to travel.  I would like to go to Ireland, Sweden, and New Zealand.

          If I am one of the few chosen to go to Italy, I will be extremely excited.  I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep for weeks just thinking about it.  The first thing I would pack would be about ten rolls of film.  I need those so I can capture the beautiful scenery, buildings, monuments, and people.

          My mother told me that I am of Italian descent.  Her ancestors are from Italy.  I would like to learn more about them and where they were from.