Welcome to Malta

Welcome to Malta, population 400,000. I chose this small Mediterranean Island out of a study abroad pamphlet one afternoon, and admittedly had to google its exact location. I have since learned I'm in good company, for although it is mere miles from Sicily, most Italians are unaware of its independent existence as well. Embodied with rich historical significance, this small island has over the years evolved into a European and Middle Eastern microcosm of culture and identity. Its coasts are riddled with gorgeous cliffs, caves, and beaches, while inland you find everything from prehistoric temples to local fish markets. Malta is truly a unique specimen, untouched by much of modernization and yet ever evolving through the continual trampling and integration of western and european ideals. With such a diverse and torrid history, the island itself has been built up and torn down, layer upon layer, by religion, tradition, new cultural identities, wars, and strife. Who then, are the people inhibiting this island? Is their ancestry of any definitive nature? Over this semester, I hope to explore the island and its amazing history. I have spent two months here already, and have become accustomed to the chaotic yet steady rhythm of the island, as the beach becomes accustomed to the melodic and brutal beating of the waves upon the shore.