This past summer, I studied abroad in Siena, Italy. My peers and I were paired with one of the seven competing contradas (neighborhoods) for their annual horserace, the Palio. Unlike a regular horserace, the Palio completely takes over the city and there is a lot of preparation and festivities prior to the day of the race. Each member of the contrada is given a silk scarf, which they must always keep knotted and never wash. These shuttle nuances also separate the locals from the thousands of tourists who come to Siena for the Palio. As a member of the Tartuca, one wears his/or her scarf during all of the activities including the day of the race. My Tartuca scarf reminds me of the amazing people I met, but also one of the strongest communities I have had the opportunity to be apart of.
