After her semester at The Umbra Institute in Spring 2013, Food Studies Program student Caitlin Smith received a summer internship as a food blogger for Foodem, an online, D.C.-based start-up that caters to the U.S. wholesale food distribution industry.
Smith primarily blogs about the connection between food and lifestyle, particularly in relation to her semester abroad in Italy. She explained that her decision to apply for the internship derived from her experience at Umbra.
“When I took this internship, I was very apprehensive. I was really worried that my food knowledge wasn’t going to prove up to the task,” Smith admitted. “But thanks to my time in Perugia, I’ve found that I have plenty of opinions on the subject! I have to say that The History and Culture of Food course really changed the entire way that I eat, think, and feel about food and culture.
“I was never really that interested in food trends or nutrition or the like before I took that class,” Smith continued. “And it wasn’t until I returned to the U.S. when I realized how much that course, as well as my experiences in Perugia, changed my perspective and my eating habits. … I actually care about what’s in season, where and how things are grown and cultivated, and what goes into my — and anyone else’s — body. And I think that really comes across in my blog posts — I want to show people how easy it is to incorporate fresh foods and home cooked meals into their diets. Everyone can have a little bit of that slow Italian lifestyle, even if they’re living in the American fast lane.”
At the end of August, Smith will return to George Washington University for her senior year. Explore her stories for the Foodem blog here.