As I reflect on my time spent living in Rome, I cannot believe that it has already come to a close. This genuinely has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I truly could not be more grateful. Before embarking, I was extremely nervous that I would not adjust well, that I wouldn’t find a community, and that my classroom language skills would not cut it in the real world. After my six weeks in Rome, I proved each of these worries to be just that, worries.

In terms of adjusting to the Roman culture, I fell in love with the lifestyle. Before class each morning I would stop in our favorite cafe, named Enzo’s, and have a cappuccino and a cornetto with creme. Here I was able to take what I was learning in my Italian class and apply it to real life. I felt that my speaking skills have improved tremendously simply based on the full immersion in the language I was experiencing every day.

My favorite part of the Italian lifestyle was their dinners. I loved sitting and talking with my classmates and the slow-paced nature of their restaurants. I felt that after every aperitivo I grew closer with these people and I can call each and every one of them a genuine friend. We would take trips to various parts of Italy on the weekends. The chance to experience and compare the Italian culture in the cities in the north vs. the south was a very beneficial experience. I felt that the width of lifestyles I experienced shows how truly vast and rich the culture of Italy is.

I feel that my time abroad has helped me grow in so many different ways, both personally and professionally. Academically, my Italian skills have increased tremendously. In addition, this was my first museum studies class and I now understand the various ways of interpreting museum setups and collections. Due to the language barrier, I learned a tremendous amount of problem solving skills that I hope translate to my future endeavors. I am more confident to experience things alone and enjoy my own company.

This program has truly fueled my interest in both the Italian language and the Italian culture. Post graduation, I would love the opportunity to continue my studies in Italy again. Though I don’t fully know how I want to pursue this, an opportunity that interests me greatly would be teaching English to students there. I have grown so much on this program and I know that my heightened skills of independence and problem-solving in unfamiliar areas will make me a much stronger student. I am more confident in my skills overall and feel that this program has made me a stronger person all around. I loved living in Rome and I cannot wait for the next time I can visit.