Julia Dailey, Classical Mediterranean: Ancient Sicily, Summer 2026
Before this study abroad trip, I had traveled to Italy once before with my family many years ago. I remembered very little of what the culture was like, especially since we mainly stayed in Northern Italy during that trip.
There was definitely an adjustment period when I first arrived in Ortigia, but after about a week I was used to living abroad. I discovered my staple food locations that I would go to everyday for lunch and dinner. My favorites were at the local market, a poke place in Siracusa, and a pizza place on one of the more popular shopping streets. My go to sandwiches always included some form of mozzarella, and Italian staple! Trying different foods and finding my favorite local places became one of my favorite parts of everyday life in Sicily.
Another amazing surprise that came with navigating Ortigia was the stray cats! I met so many new feline friends while in Italy, I loved sharing my sandwiches with them (and was very tempted to bring them all home).
One of the more difficult aspects of adjusting to life abroad was the language barrier. I am fortunate enough to be fluent in Spanish, another romance language, and also having taken some Italian classes while at Pitt, so I wasn’t completely in the dark. However, it still was a challenge while ordering food, shopping, taking a taxi, or simply walking down the streets. Having to actually use Italian in everyday situations was very different from practicing it in a classroom. It forced me to become more confident and comfortable communicating even when I knew I might make mistakes.
Thankfully, everyone that I met was nice and loved that I was attempting to learn their language. By the end of the trip, I felt much more comfortable navigating daily life in Ortigia and communicating with the people around me.
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