With the European Championships in soccer raging on, the European continent is aflame. Will a polarizing Italy side defend their title? Will their sworn rivals Germany win it on home soil? Will the possession-crazed Spaniards win their record-breaking 4th title, or will the favorites France dominate once more? Will a trophy finally return to England after 58 years, or will Cristiano Ronaldo get his perfect send off with Portugal? Storylines of the utmost drama will be spreading through Europe this Summer. I couldn’t be more excited to return.
While the Euros will have been long-since concluded by the time I have arrived in Metz in August, I can feel the passion and liveliness that I will be returning to. When traveling, the world is your oyster. And there are endless possibilities for this Fall, just as there were last Fall.
Of course, I plan to share all of my travels with you. Whether it is getting accustomed to life in Metz, taking elaborate day trips around France, or traveling to far off places and showcasing curious cuisines, cultures, and festivities from around the world, I plan on documenting my experiences thoroughly through this blog.
I hope to visit Denmark and Sweden: particularly Copenhagen and Stockholm, very early on, as well as Krakow and Wroclaw in Poland, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, so keep your eyes out for those trips! Whether it is pierogis or stroopwafels, I plan on showcasing street food and traditional meals in every city I go to, as well as giving brief descriptions of history, architecture, and culture for each. I also hope to report on as many soccer games as possible wherever I go!
Of course, I cannot give up my most devious of travel plans. I have some incredible trips planned, and I cannot wait to share them with you! But for now, we must wait. The winds are beginning to pick up- soon, we shall set sail.
Until then, I will be watching my Azzurri hopefully win back-to-back European Championships. One can only dream.
Until our next adventure, this is Matteo Ruffo, signing off.
Written by Georgia Tech-Europe Fall 2024 Blogger, Matteo Ruffo
Hi all! My name is Matteo Ruffo – I am a rising third-year aerospace engineering student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and I will be attending GT-Europe this Fall.
I am from Connecticut originally, just outside of New York City, and I am the son of Southern Italian immigrants. As such, I am an avid soccer fan, with my favorite team being SSC Napoli. Soccer is the main sport I play competitively, but I also really like American football and basketball, and play water polo and basketball recreationally. I read and write a lot, and I am currently reading A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin, the fourth book in his A Song of Ice And Fire series.
Ultimately, however, I love traveling with an unyielding passion.
I was fortunate enough for my parents to bring me back to my extended family in Calabria, the boot of Italy; spending Summers with my cousins and grandparents, we would take trips to Puglia, Rome, Milan, Florence, Tuscany, and Venice, and later on we did trips to Turin, Bologna, Rimini, San Marino, Sicily, and Pesaro, the latter of which I spent time playing for their soccer academy. I also had the fortune of playing in soccer competitions in Argentina, as well as visiting Iceland, Barcelona, Paris, and London in my youth as well. This nurturing brought up an immense love in me for traveling and geography, and both are aspects of me that to this day, I hold dear.
While I am immensely excited for the opportunities I will have at GT-Europe, it will not be my first study abroad program at Georgia Tech. During my freshman year, I embarked on a one-week study abroad to Rwanda with an energy and sustainability class I took, and in the Fall, I attended the Barcelona Fall Program with Georgia Tech, visiting countries such as Morocco, Jordan, Turkey, Hungary, Czechia, and Norway in the process.
I am extremely excited to embark on my second long-term study abroad, and I am equally excited for the opportunity to share my travels!
Hello from Atlanta, where I’m officially done with my summer courses and back home catching up on sleep! While I was homesick and excited to be back in the States, my last week in Metz made me realize that I will likely not have an experience like this summer again; my friends and I couldn’t help but point out all the “lasts,” like our last train ride back to Metz, our last souvenir purchases, and our last trip to the grocery store. This summer has given me a deeper sense of curiosity and love for travel, and while it’s likely my last time studying abroad, I’m reassured by what my mom would tell me when I’d call her, upset about travel hiccups: “It’s not your last time in Europe, Cate.” And what’s more, the world is much bigger than Europe! This summer at GTE has shown me just a small portion of the world and has planted in me a desire to see as much of it as possible.
Lasting Memories
To celebrate the small but incredible portion of the world that I got to see this summer, here’s a list of the top 5 memories and moments from my time at GTE.
5 – Day-hike in Lauterbrunnen
When my friend described the Swiss town of Lauterbrunnen to me, I immediately added it to my travel itinerary. During our visit, we spent a whole day hiking through the neighboring towns. After the first few miles, we took a cable car to the top of the ridge, where we ate lunch in the clouds and continued our hike. We built a snowman, identified the many wildflowers along the trail, and listened to the nearby cow bells jingling. We slowly made our way to the bottom of the ridge, getting back to Lauterbrunnen that evening after 12 miles of hiking. We enjoyed a dinner of bratwurst, returned to our hostel, watched Frozen 2, and were asleep by 9:30 PM, tired but content.
4 – Swiss fondue in the Alps
On another of our weekend excursions to Switzerland, we decided to cook our own meals since we were in a small mountain town with few restaurants. On our second night, we made Swiss fondue, as our Airbnb advertised that it came with a fondue pot and all the necessary utensils. I found a recipe online, and we went to the grocery store and bought all the ingredients. Everyone helped with the preparation, talking and playing music while we cubed the blocks of cheese and cooked the sausage. Despite my fear that the hot plate wouldn’t work, it proved successful, and our fondue was great! We had sausage, bread, broccoli, and potatoes to dip in it, along with the less traditional chicken nuggets. It was so much fun cooking together, and it felt more special to gather to eat something we had made ourselves.
3 – Asamkirche in Munich
Visiting cathedrals and churches is a popular tourist activity across Europe, and while I find them beautiful, many would agree that they start to blend together once you’ve seen a handful. That was the case until our trip to Munich. I had been told that I needed to visit Asamkirche, a Baroque church in the center of the city. When we visited, the façade was covered in scaffolding, so we had no idea what to expect. Upon walking in, I can genuinely say that we were all speechless. The gold ornamentation and detail was stunning, and it was nothing like I had ever seen before. We sat in silence for a few minutes, taking it all in. To anyone planning to visit Munich, Asamkirche needs to be at the top of your list.
2 – Cliff-jumping in Cinque Terre
After a brief but brutal hike from Riomaggiore to Manarola, we cooled off with some cliff-jumping in a popular ocean inlet. Above the swimming spot, spectators crowded to watch the jumpers and divers. After staring down at the water for 15 minutes and backing out several times, I finally worked up the courage to jump from one of the highest rocks; when I came up from the water, I heard cheers and clapping from the crowd above me. I guess my stalling had drawn their attention, and though I was more than slightly embarrassed, it allowed for a great memory. After several more jumps from various rocks, we dried off, changed into sundresses, and went to dinner with wet and salty hair.
1 – Sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence
Though we only had a few hours in Florence—thanks to bus and train delays—we made the most of our time there. Before sunset, we headed up the many steps to Piazzale Michelangelo, a square on top of a hill overlooking the entire city. We were able to find a good spot to sit and wait for dusk. Performers were playing music and singing, and soon, people were dancing and singing along. Since it was our friend’s birthday, we celebrated with some tiramisu we had picked up from the grocery store. We were lucky to have a beautiful sunset that night, and I couldn’t help but feel that Florence knew we didn’t have much time there and wanted to make sure that it gave us its best. There was something in the air that night, and the contentment I felt as I sat there made that night the highlight of my summer.
Last Thoughts
Through GTE, I explored new places with new friends, challenged myself with intense academics, and most importantly, learned that I’m capable of anything. I was intimidated by the prospect of living in Europe for several months, and if I’m being honest, it took me a while to become excited for the summer. But once I arrived, the excitement overcame the anxiety, and I quickly learned that I had nothing to worry about. I’m capable of navigating train systems and communicating with others despite a language barrier. I can succeed in my classes while traveling on the weekends. I can successfully problem-solve when I miss a train or get lost. I can organize trip logistics, like booking hostels and train tickets and planning itineraries. I can shop in French grocery stores, even if I’m not exactly sure what I’m buying. Overall, I’ve proved to myself that I can do the things I thought I couldn’t. This has installed a new sense of confidence in me and has shown me once again that my anxiety underestimates me. While this summer has not been easy at times, it has taught me a lot about myself, and I’m so grateful for the experiences that it has given me. I’m especially thankful for the opportunity to share these experiences through the blog, and if even one person was impacted by my writing, then I’d say I was successful.
Hey! This is Andre, your GTE blogger reporting in for the last time! Sorry my blog is a little late; I was sick for a bit and then had to lock in for finals, but I wanted to be sure to get in my last blog before the start of the fall semester.
That was one helluva semester! I am writing this final blog sitting on the couch in my parent’s house and cannot believe it’s already over. I’ve been reflecting on my travels now that I have gotten a chance to rest and finally eat buffalo wings with ranch again. What I have decided I want to talk about for this blog is the goal of cherishing every moment.
This really struck me after my last crazy day in Paris (of course I can’t have a normal day anywhere). The story goes that after finishing my finals, I wanted to get in one last day in Paris before I went home. So, I woke up at 5 am Thursday morning to get the first train out. The only plan I actually had was to see the Olympic rings in front of the Eiffel Tower and go present shopping for my family.
First thing upon arrival I decided to check out the Eiffel Tower. I noticed some people taking photos of their clothing with the brand “Seek Discomfort,” from the popular YouTube channel Yes Theory. As a big fan, I came over and introduced myself asking if they were fans of the channel like me. Turns out they work for the channel and were doing a photoshoot for their new merchandise in front of the Eiffel Tower. They then asked me… yes goofy lookin ME, if I wanted to join the photoshoot. I dumbfoundedly accepted so they put a shirt on me, and I proceeded to be a part of their merchandise shoot for the next few hours. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and get to know the team, and I really tried to learn about them as people. From really trying to take in the moment, I got to learn why the people I look up to do what they do!
Andre modeling for Yes Theory (Clothes hidden as they haven’t been released yet!)
Later in the day I found myself at an outdoor mall and spotted a small skateboard course with a half-pipe (if you also remember I love skateboarding too!). I walked over and asked the people in front of the course what the program was, and it turned out they were offering free skate classes. I asked if I could sign up and they said sure, you can take the class in 40 minutes. I then found myself with a helmet on my head, a skateboard at my feet, in this impromptu skating class in the middle of Paris. While this was super fun, I then was told that the Adidas skate team was performing later that night at the course. I decided to come back later in the day. The skaters were, of course, incredible, and I even got to meet the founder of the skate brand “What it Isn’t”, Mark Gonzales, and a blind professional skater, Dan Mancina, both who I am BIG fans of. As you could expect, I was freaking out the whole time, but I took the time to slow down and love every moment of meeting exciting people and skating with strangers!
Andre with Professional Skater and Artist, Mark Gonzales Andre taking a skate lesson in Paris!
Anyways, to wrap up why I am sharing these silly stories, the last thing I thought I was going to do that day was be in a photoshoot for a famous YouTube channel and meet/watch some of my favorite skaters after taking part in a skate lesson myself. Life is so crazy, and it flies by so fast. As you experience it, take some time to really be in the present moment because it will never come again. Take a look at who is around you, how you are feeling, what you are doing. Even as I did these fun activities, I tried to really be present and appreciate what I was experiencing. And this goes for all my trips. In the mountains of Switzerland, I felt the wonderful breeze and view, and took a moment to appreciate the company I had. In the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona Spain, I took a moment to really take in the singing I was hearing and the smiles on the faces of the locals who guided us through the town out of the kindness of their hearts. And even in the Cora grocery store parking lot right there in Metz, I took a moment to appreciate the beautiful sunset and the fact I was literally across the world in France! In the crazy, the mundane, in travels, and at home, take a few moments to really appreciate where you are, because life is flying by!
Thanks for reading and allowing me to share for the past few months, wishing you all the best.
