Studying Abroad in Rome: The First Week

January 23, 2019

I’m now reaching the end of my first week living in Rome. It still hasn’t fully set in that I’ll be a student here for the next four months, but I’m beyond grateful and excited for the opportunity. In this post, I’d like to go into why I chose to study abroad, what I hope to get out of the experience, and how my first week here has been.

Why I chose to study abroad

Studying abroad is something I’ve wanted to do ever since I can remember. I absolutely love to travel because every trip teaches me something new, not just about the world but also about myself.

I would say the biggest spark in my decision to study abroad was the trip I took throughout Europe when I was a sophomore in high school. It was one of the most eye-opening and awe-inspiring experiences of my life. I knew I had to return to Europe.

I didn’t make it to Rome during that first time in Europe, but I have always been fascinated with the city. Being a Catholic, I’ve always wanted to experience Vatican City and the rich tradition of faith that Rome is known for. I also love history, coffee, and pasta so Italy seemed like the perfect fit.

What I hope to gain

My greatest hope for this study abroad experience is to discover myself and my goals in a newfound way. I know this sounds vague and somewhat cliche, but 2018 was a year of great confusion and frustration for me. To be quite honest, I took on too much. My sense of direction was fuzzy and I wasn’t exactly sure what to focus my time on so I tried doing it all. This unfortunately left me exhausted and completely burnt out.

That being said, I’m hoping to find a renewed sense of motivation and direction. As I mentioned before, traveling greatly inspires me. I hope to explore all around Europe and visit as many countries as possible. I’ve been saving for a long time now, so I can’t wait to experience Europe to the fullest.

My first week in Rome

This first week has been a mixture of ups and downs, which I think is characteristic of any new and unfamiliar situation. Let me tell you, jet lag is a real thing. I don’t think I’ve ever been as tired as I was that first day I arrived in Rome.

Aside from exhaustion, I still find myself getting used to the cultural changes. Not only is everything written and spoken in Italian, but outlets are different, currency is the euro, wifi is a luxury not a commodity, and public bathrooms are hard to come-by. Not to mention the time is seven hours ahead of my friends and family at home.

This combination of new stimuli was overwhelming at times. In those moments I found it most effective to just stop and take a deep breath. I reminded myself that I would adapt and things would only get better. I’m taking an Italian class this semester so I’ll soon learn to speak and understand the language. Everything else I know I’ll adapt to with time.

Nevertheless, by far the strongest emotion I experienced this week was awe. Italy is so unbelievably unique and historic. Just walking through the beautiful streets made me feel like I was in a movie set.

I have fallen in love with the food and coffee culture in this country. I am not at all ashamed to admit that I have eaten pasta every single day since I’ve been here. Oh, and I already know going back to coffee in America will be difficult after tasting Italy’s cappuccinos and caffe lattes.