As the date for our avventura italiana approaches, the excitement of traveling to a new place is starting to finally surface. Even though I have traveled to a European country before, I am anxious to see the beauty that Italy beholds. In addition, I am also looking forward to being thrown into a different culture, especially one in with a new language. As we make our way through the country, I will have the chance to listen to conversations of authentic Italians, the everyday city life, and most importantly, the architecture. Yes, I do realize that buildings and structures do not actually talk, but each one tells a story through its uniqueness, details, and flaws. I will tell you that it is hard to say exactly what I will be seeing even after Google searching thousands and thousands of pictures for the past few months. Personally, I hope to gain a stronger understanding of architecture and why it is the way it is.
Infrastructure is one of the broadest topics I have ever had to write about in my college career thus far. So, I made the executive decision that I will not be able to narrow my focus immediately. But, I did find that in Italy’s past, the main city layout consisted of a grid-like structure that was systematic. Typically, the major public buildings would be placed in the center of the city while the housing, shops, and markets would surround them. As the years passed, Italy adapted to its quickly-growing cities and veered away from its disciplined structure.
The other aspect of infrastructure I hope to pursue is detailing. Most people tend to view infrastructure as the “big picture,” but I want to delve deeper into the subject to uncover how significant the role of details actually is. Unfortunately, the modern and contemporary architectural styles we are accustomed to now tend to be largely void of details, even though it could be argued that the lack of detail is actually a detail in itself.
Confusing? Luckily, this is where I come in! Since Italy seems to bring more attention to detailing than any place I have been to before, this is the perfect opportunity for me to gain a new perspective on these components and to relay this newly found awareness to you. After all, I think details are tired of being overlooked while we race around in our daily busy lives.
Finally, I will leave you with this. I have learned that the most difficult aspect of traveling is overlooking the little things. Every traveler has the urge to look and act like a tourist, which means while other tourists take the typical picture of themselves pushing against the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I will immerse myself into the overall infrastructure and detailing. On a side note, if I even considered trying to take that picture, Mary Ann would look at me in disbelief considering we have talked in every learning community about how we need to blend in, not stand out. But, I will do my best to display those observed details through my writing and hopefully bring them to life for you. Next time I write, I will be in gorgeous Italy! As the Italians would say, ciao!
Note: Abby Taylor has previously traveled with Defiance College to Paris and Cambodia. Taylor is currently in pursuit of Accounting and Global Studies majors at Defiance College. She is co-President of the Honors Program and looking forward to her Honors research in Italy.
-Abby Taylor
Infrastructure
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