Dear 2016-ers,
I am a musicologist, focusing on music of
the seventeenth century. My specialty is
musical activities of Roman nuns in the early modern period. My first opportunity to spend a substantial
amount of time outside the country was working on my dissertation in the
1990s. I found an apartment in Rome, and
lived there for a half year, conducting research in the Vatican, the state
archives of Rome, and a number of smaller libraries and archives scattered
across the city.
It was a beautiful, bewildering time. I ate pasta, walked for miles around the
city. I memorized the best gelaterie, sang a lot of Italian pop
songs, learned how to cook a five-course meal with just basic meat and
vegetables, olive oil, garlic, and salt.
I walked twisted, narrow streets amongst buildings that were centuries
old. I had an alfresco dinner in the
Roman countryside at a table that seated 30, with children running about,
drinking wine as the sun set over the mountains. I bargained at the open-air markets, and
found several antiquarian books that I still treasure today. I learned to trust in God and my student
insurance policy, and just cross the street, with Vespas and little cars
darting past me on every side. I sat in piazze among throngs of people, just
drinking a coffee, people watching, and wishing those moments could last
forever. I made a lot of friends, a lot
of mistakes, and had an experience that I still remember to this day. When people talk about Romans living La dolce vita, they are not
exaggerating! I learned everything I
could about Rome and Romans, and fell in love.
I get back there as often as I can to
continue my research, attend conferences, and catch up with old friends. I do travel elsewhere: Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and of
course, all over the US, and love learning about new places and cultures,
discovering foods, and customs, and slang.
However, I really get Rome. I have scratched more than just the surface,
and while it would take more than just my lifetime to understand everything
about a place, I know enough to recognize that I am helplessly, hopelessly,
joyously in love with that city and its people.
You will have the opportunity to have a
similar love affair. Trinity has an
incredible reputation for the quality of its Study Abroad programs, sending
about 250 students a year to 35 countries.
A large number of Trinity students take advantage of them every
year. Traditionally, this is done during
the junior year, and you may be starting to explore the options available to
you. Some of you may have not given it
much thought. I would strongly recommend
that do. You have the chance to go to a
country of your choice under the guidance and support of experienced
professionals who really know the ins and outs of the study abroad
experience. You have to the chance to
learn about a culture, people, country, and most importantly, yourself.
I encourage you to take it.
Cheers,
Dr. M