Why Italy?!

mmmhh!
I was applying for NY and Italy, i was pushing for new york more because it was a more realistic place for me to go after college, or visit period. Italy was more like the dream house that we all picture in our heads but few get to have. I've always been drawn to classical art, greats like Da Vinci, Raphael, Michael Angelo...yes, yes I know... the ones that everyone knows, but I admire their skill! of course now that I've learned a bit more about art history there is one in particular that blows my mind: John Singer Sargent (http://www.abcgallery.com/S/sargent/sargent.html). His paintings, his draftsmenship and ambisious scale is just breath taking.
ok.
So back to why Italy. It has always been a place that I admired and some of my "idols" (way to make myself sound like an art nerd) have studied or were born and raised in Italy. Being there will allow me to take an in depth look at this countries rich history, and breath taking scenery (or so i've been told).
For those who don't know me; I was born in Guatemala, a country filled with mountains, lakes and rivers which were at my finger tips through most of my childhood. When I moved to Houston TX there were not many montains to admire... ha actually there are NONE what so ever. But I've always held an interest for landscape and even landscape paintings; I know it's not really an exciting thing, but I love seeing how colors in nature have been documented in paintings.
I'm interested in exploring the colors i see in the landscape and on peoples clothes to create a series of fashion illustrations that will make me happy. In terms of architecture, I want to study how the structures around me are made and embelished to come up with stage backgrounds for runways and for plays. (I'm not sure what plays or stories to illustrate but it will come to me soon... I hope)