We're going to Italy!

It's officially summer in Ann Arbor as the semester ends, commencement commences, and the students get the hell out. Corey and I are looking forward to enjoying the city again, but we are planning one big trip: Italy!

Corey got accepted to the highSCORE Music Festival in Pavia, Italy. It's a two-week program of classes, lessons, and concerts, and I'm going too! It wasn't until after he was accepted that we found out he was allowed to bring a guest, and with some generous help from our wonderful families, we are making it happen!

I have never been to Italy and Corey has never been to continental Europe, so we are both really excited for the location. Pavia is a college town of about 70,000 located 35 km south of Milan, so we will be in northern Italy. It's a little weird because Pavia isn't really a big travel destination, so I haven't been able to find out too much about it, but it's nice that we will be somewhere peaceful and not bursting with tourists.

I began errands for the trip today. I went to Walgreens to get a photo for my new passport. (My old one isn't technically expired, but it's in my maiden name.) I also visited Barnes and Noble to pick up "The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Italian Phrases."

I remember pronunciation from my days as a classical singer, but I only remember the words for "heart" "love" and "spirit" - not so helpful when trying to order lunch or buy shoes.

Stay tuned for updates on the trip!