Natalia Catalina Cuttitta ‘20, Television Writing and Production major/Film Music minor, participated in the interterm 2019 Travel Course, “REL 333: Religion and Gender in Harry Potter Travel Course,” to London, England. In her blog post below, she discusses her personal motivation for participating, how she prepared, and why it was all worth it.

15:00, 3rd of January 2019. I arrived in London, wide awake. The excitement coursed through my veins as I rushed through the airport, excited to be in what I always considered a very magical place. It is where Harry Potter was born, where Sherlock Holmes lives, and where a lot of my favorite movies were brought to life! It would have been a sin not to be jumping out of your socks like I was. At that point, I was not even thinking about the months and months of my own hard-earned money I spent to fund this trip.

Talia standing to the side of the train to Hogwartz.

My name is Talia Cuttitta and I am a senior Television Writing and Production major at Chapman. When I was a junior, I was lucky enough to participate in an interterm Travel Course abroad to London, England. I took a class called, “Religion and Gender in Harry Potter,” which served as a space to critically analyze one of my favorite fictional series. The diverse selection of students in the class especially enriched our discussions on these topics, bringing different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to the table. I am very glad I was able to meet and bond with the students prior to departing; it eased my anxieties about not knowing anyone, and, as a result, I felt more comfortable. I was also group leader for “Slytherin House,” which definitely gave me a sense of community from the start.

Talia taking a selfie with her classmates behind her at Harry Potter land.

The diverse selection of students in the class especially enriched our discussions on these topics, bringing different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to the table.

I was inspired to go abroad because international cultures and people have been a huge part of my life. My mother is from El Salvador, so growing up with her meant getting to know a whole other culture and language, a world she brought along with her to America. People have made a lot of assumptions throughout the years when I have told them my mom is from El Salvador, and they will usually state those assumptions in the form of questions. I will answer the questions I know are already on your mind: yes, she speaks English (she actually is a English Second Language teacher now); yes, she graduated high school, she actually went to college and has a master’s; yes, she is a citizen; no, she does not know any gang members. I think that covers all the basic stereotypes. My mom was never interested in taking us to El Salvador, mostly because it is dangerous, but also because her family is here now. However, she did teach me a lot about her culture, food, and some of her language. My dad did the same. He’s Italian-American and Syrian-American, and has a strong passion specifically for the Italian culture and language that he passed on to me. He loves Italy and has taken us as a family a couple of times. It was from those special trips that I fell in love with travel. They sparked my curiosity to venture out into the world, see new places, and learn about new cultures and languages. So, I decided that I wanted to travel again during my college years. I opted for the interterm option: two weeks abroad only taking one class, which ended up being the absolute best option for me.

…I reached out to the professor very early on: almost a year in advance to be exact (January 2018). She sent me the application in February 2018 and interviewed me in March 2018 (for the January 2019 interterm class).

Talia with the London skyline in the background. She is standing in front of a black fence with a large green lawn between her and the skyline.

Planning in advance is key. I knew I wanted to take this interterm abroad course as soon as I heard about it. Since it is a popular course, there was a waitlist and the professor could only take a select number of students. Therefore, I reached out to the professor very early on: almost a year in advance to be exact (January 2018). She sent me the application in February 2018 and interviewed me in March 2018 (for the January 2019 interterm class). I was accepted into the class and did everything I could to start saving money. Working extra hours during the semester and summer prior to the trip helped me reach my goal, and my family helped me too. It was not easy, but it was doable and totally worth it.

Once you feel that rush that was coursing through my veins as I crossed the Westminster Bridge that first evening, looking up in awe and disbelief, once you get that feeling of “Wow, I am really here,” you will not ask me that question. You will understand.

Why was it worth it? Once you feel that rush that was coursing through my veins as I crossed the Westminster Bridge that first evening, looking up in awe and disbelief, once you get that feeling of “Wow, I am really here,” you will not ask me that question. You will understand. That pure feeling of joy and excitement with a touch of adventure is priceless.

Talia participated in the interterm 2019 Travel Course, “REL 333: Religion and Gender in Harry Potter Travel Course.” Learn more about Travel Courses on our website. Interterm and spring break Travel Course applications are due in the fall; summer Travel Course applications are due in the spring.