Who writes this?

Ciao!  My name's Dana and I'm a junior at Indiana University studying both journalism and international studies focusing on culture and the arts.  I started this blog upon deciding to study in Rome for five weeks throughout July as a way to organize my thoughts and photos on a daily basis, but you're welcome to read a long with me!

I chose Rome, not only because of my Italian heritage and desire to speak the language, but how history is seamlessly integrated into a metropolitan city.  Think about it.  Where else could you potentially cross paths with the Colosseum on your way to work or live in an apartment with an ancient facade that's thousands of years old?  I can't wait to meet the people and, of course, indulge in the food.

I'm really passionate about food and nutrition in general.  I think food is incredibly representative of our culture, how we interact with it, and its ability to bring family and friends together.  Trust me, if I'm not thinking about food, I'm reading about it, or wandering around the grocery store aimlessly.

On the other side of the spectrum, I'm obsessed with current events and spend time every morning reading at least four news sources, and this obsession spans from the 2011 general elections to photos of Kate Middleton strolling through London; I love it all.  I'm fascinated by international news and definitely see myself writing and reporting as a foreign correspondent for a major news source. (More excuses for me to travel, obviously!)

To put it simply, I love:  running, jump-roping, reading, cooking, dark chocolate, Tiramisu, Yankee candles, long walks with no destination in mind, traveling, writing, coffee, good quotes, fashion photography, Sofia Coppola films, news, live music, and meeting new, interesting, and ambitious people.