Quintessential Italy

I chose this program because I wanted to really experience Italy and be as little of a foreigner as possible. I cannot say enough good things about Arcadia, Umbra, & Perugia. It was truly the experience of a lifetime.This program was outstanding and I would not change a second of my time in Perugia. It is a wonderful little town. The people are friendly and always thrilled to hear you try and speak Italian. Arcadia did a special welcome program at a slow foods farm where we all learned how to make pasta! The day Arcadia planned at the farm was a lot of fun and a great way to get to know others in the program (other programs just do a dinner so this was something special!).
Umbra really did their best to submerge you into the Italian culture. With tandem nights throughout the semester we were able to meet with local Italians and help them with their english and in return they helped us with our Italian. Going to Perugia without knowing any Italian other than Ciao, these nights were extremely helpful & lots of fun!! Umbra's classes also had lots of embedded field trips which were fabulous. My favorite was going to Parma to see parmesan reggiano cheese be made.
One of the amazing things about Perugia, that you would not get from a big city experience, was that you really did get to know the locals. Perugia is a vibrant town filled with wonderful people, food, and festivals. I could not have chosen a better place to study abroad and have missed Italy everyday since returning.