Bienvenuto a Roma!
Week one has officially come and gone! I have to say, it feels like I’ve been here a lot longer. From the 24 hours of constant travel to full days of orientation to my first few days of classes, the reality of studying abroad still hasn’t sunk in. As I wait for the feeling of being at summer camp to wear off, I’ve managed to become open to as many weekend trips and late night gelato runs as possible.
Before arriving in Italy, the only expectations I had of the country were based off the movies I’d seen (Lizzie McGuire, anyone?) and posts I’d saved on Pinterest. Italian culture has always drawn me in and a dream of mine is to live in Italy once I graduate college. The beginning of junior year I had come to terms that I was stuck in a rut that felt impossible to climb out, so I took my study abroad plans off the back burner, did my research, and signed up. The process was stressful so if you’re a procrastinator like me, get everything in order ASAP, it’ll save you a headache later.
As a commuter, I’ve never had a true “college experience” in the sense that I’ve never had a roommate that wasn’t my sister, I haven’t had to deal with dorm drama and eating cafeteria food was never even a passing thought. So far, I’ve gotten lucky. My roommate is the sweetest, my dorm has the best view, and as for the cafeteria…well, I guess that’ll still take some getting used to.
Seeing the beauty of Rome firsthand is something that no picture can ever fully capture. I still have a long way to go on my list of things to see, but the mindblowing reality of the historical significance is almost too much to handle. Walking the streets and taking in the monuments I’ve only read about in textbooks is an experience unlike any other.
If you’re on the fence about studying abroad, or if you’ve never left home before (like me), just go for it. Don’t be one of those people that gets caught up in the 9-5 and comfort of home! Go out and explore! See the world! Wear whatever you want! Talk to people you wouldn’t usually talk to! Eat weird food! …just make sure to pack some snacks from home. I wish I did.
Ciao,
Andrea
finding new stories to write about like new restaurants, and the March Events Blog post is due next Monday. I completely bombed my finance test which probably shouldn’t have been as hard as it was. I need to be more focused and balanced in how I’m allocating my time. The rest of my midterms are next week so I’m basically not leaving JFRC until my grades are where I need them to be (or sleeping probably, but that’s college right?). Today I took the 990 Bus to Vatican City to take some pictures for my internship and send out postcards to my friends and family. It was 2,80 euros per stamp. The man who was working at the post office seemed was super rude. I handed him my debit card and he threw my postcards on the
to sweets, I’ve come to the realization that I need to do something to keep me healthy. So, for the past month or so I’ve gone to the gym 5-6 times a week depending how my body feels. I’m finally starting to see the benefit of all the work I’ve put in and I’m really happy about. So, the goal for next week is to sort my life out, but its really hard to say the least.