I am from sunny vineyards,
from the breeze of Lake Garda
and the scent of olive groves.
I am from steamed cabbage,
from my mom’s warm cookies
and Sunday lunches at my Nonna’s.
I am from fresh tapas,
from the coffee on the way to class
and tender sunsets at the Bunkers.
I am from crunchy chipa,
from the comforting warmth of mate
and the sugary taste of unconditional love.
I am from the bitterness of goodbyes,
and the sweetness of new encounters.
I am from where I will be next.
Hi! I’m Petra (she/her). I’m a 4th year exchange student coming from ESADE university (Barcelona, Spain). I am Italian, I was born in a very small and remote village called Drena, but I have been studying and living in Barcelona for the past 3 years.
I am majoring in Global Governance and minoring in Economics. I love my career and want to work in development (economics) once I graduate, while living in South America. I spent the summer working in Paraguay as researcher in an education NGO, so I was a bit disoriented by the change when I came to Vancouver. But I’m loving it!
In Italy and Barcelona I used to practice a sport that is called Baton Twirling and I absolutely loved it, but it is hard to find this sport everywhere. I am a curious person and enjoy learning (anything), driving, traveling and being creative in the kitchen.
I am taking this course because I want to learn more about Latin America (I don’t have many courses options at my home university) and because I think the approach is creative, interesting and unusual compared to my other courses. I am also really happy to get to know you all!
Your poem beautifully moves across landscapes and geography through food. I admire how different food items ground you in each place along your journey. Your final stanza is so bittersweet (and what a great linguistic play on that adjective), but it nicely captures your wanderlust. I really enjoyed reading this!
What a fascinating university life you’ve led, Petra. I hope Vancouver proves a memorable final stop before you graduate!