language. most people in our group didn't know any italian before arriving, although many people already knew some spanish, which is quite similar. ipeng was nice enough to set up an italian 199 class a couple weeks before our trip so that we could learn some basics on italian language and culture. while in pisa, we attended italian language class four times a week, which helped a lot in daily conversation and travelling. i started with basically no knowledge of italian, and had only taken spanish in kindergarten... but was able to pick it up rather quickly, and have reasonable conversations with people who knew no english.

money. atms ("bancomats") are all over the place, the same way they are in the u.s. so you should have no trouble if you have a regular checking account. atms will give you a direct withdrawl based on the current exchange rate, plus whatever your bank charges you for foreign atm use (usually $1-$1.50). credit cards are also widely accepted; i brought my visa debit card and it worked well. most people had a money pouch (goes under your clothes) or something equivalent to keep cash in. we didnt have any trouble with pick pockets, but it is a good idea to stay aware of your surroundings, especially in busier cities or markets. i had a short fiasco in rome when i lost my debit card, which was my only way of withdrawing cash from atms or making credit card purchases. as soon as i realized it, i called visa's 800 number to cancel the card. thankfully one of our guides helped me call my parents, who were able to wire me some cash through western union. my reccomendation would be: bring 2 credit cards, leave one in a safe place in your luggage/room, and bring one with you. it's really nerve-racking to be in another country with no way of getting money, but you are surrounded by awesome students and guides who can help!

packing. bring as little as possible, since you will probably have an urge to buy everything you see... especially once you see the excellent italian-made goods. i tried to pack clothes for about 7-10 days, and washed them thoughout the trip in the sink in our apartment. there's also a laundromat in pisa that will wash and dry your clothes for you (about 7 euros). make sure to bring some sort of sweatshirt/hoodie since it tends to get colder in the evening. otherwise, the climate in the summer is similar to here.