Home Sweet Rome.
When I landed in Italy on August 14th, I had no idea what kind of adventure I was about to begin. I was anxious and excited to start a new adventure in the country that has always had my heart. Right now, I’m sitting in the airport in Philadelphia, waiting for my last flight home to New Jersey. Looking back on my adventure in Europe, it has been an unforgettable four months of my life. I started the journey vacationing in Sardinia, Italy with my family before school started. I had an amazing time with my parents and brother in the most beautiful island where I grew up spending my summers.
Before I talk about my semester abroad, I want to mention how blessed I am to have two of the most supportive, adventurous and inspiring parents. When I was just two years old, they put me on a plane and brought me with them to Italy and France to travel with them. They have also taken me to Sardinia ever summer for a month and I couldn’t be more grateful for every summer I spent with them. They have encouraged me to travel the world, explore new places and follow my dreams. Without them, this experience would not have been possible. They were the ones who showed me that traveling is the best thing you can do, especially when you are young.
When I arrived in Rome, I immediately met people from my program that became my best friends. Its amazing how my friends turned into family in just a short amount of time. I was fortunate enough to live and go to school in the beautiful neighborhood across the river known as Trastevere. I really didn’t expect my neighborhood to be so perfect. Filled with cobblestone streets, amazing restaurants, small cafes and craft shops, Trastevere quickly became my home. Within the first two weeks of living there I immediately had a routine. I would have my morning cappuccino at a small café by my house, walk to class then have the rest of the day free to roam around the city with my camera. Although I was nervous, I began to speak Italian to locals and became more confident. I completely immersed myself in the culture and realized that there is no better feeling than being able to speak the language in a foreign country. When I wandered the city, the feeling I had of being lost didn’t last long and I enjoyed just aimlessly walking. I really started to feel like I belonged in Rome.
Rome is such a magical city. Although I’ve been visiting there ever since I was two years old, it still has my heart to this day. I will never get sick of just walking through the cobblestone streets, getting lost in the smells, admiring the architecture, immersing myself in the beautiful Italian language or just grabbing the best slice of pizza. Although four months was a long time, I could have easily stayed a year. It became my home almost instantly and I became attached to it. I got used to my habits of getting a cappuccino every morning, crossing the Tiber River and shopping in the open-air market.
I was fortunate enough to travel to 7 different countries this semester. I went to Croatia, Spain, Oktoberfest in Germany, Amsterdam, Prague and Paris and the Canary Islands. Traveling every weekend became routine too. I would leave most weekends on Thursday night and would have 3 days in each city. It was overwhelming, thrilling and rewarding. When you travel, you realize how small the world really is. I could be in Rome at 8 pm and land in Barcelona by 9:30 pm and be in a completely different country and culture. Traveling the world was so eye opening for me. Every country I traveled to was different and unique in its own way. Once you start to travel, you do not want to stop. You have the urge to do more, see more, and explore more of the world. Looking back on the past four months, those were easily months of my life without a doubt. I was able to travel the world, learn so much about myself as a person and I meet so many people unique people. I realized how lucky I was to live in a city as beautiful as Rome and travel every weekend. I learned that life is too short and to never take experiences for granted. I’m sad the adventure has come to an end but I’m already anticipating my next trip back to Rome. There is still so much more of the world to see and I know that this is only the beginning.
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