As I am closely approaching my semester abroad in Rome, I am filled with emotions! I am so grateful for this new adventure ahead of me and cannot wait to make memories of a life time in such an amazing City. I have set some goals for myself that I want to achieve after coming out of this experience and hope I can leave Rome feeling like I was able to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I want to gain more knowledge about the culture and the people of Rome. I also want to explore other cities in Italy and throughout Europe. I plan to travel to as many different locations as possible, and immerse myself in the local customs and traditions that each place has to offer. I feel like taking advantage of the close proximity to other countries is crucial and a once in a life time opportunity.
Although traveling is going to be a big part of my semester abroad I also anticipate on becoming an expert on Rome itself. I am excited to learn a new language and have the opportunity to practice it with the locals. I feel that when you are in another country or culture it is only fair to do exactly what the natives do. I am looking forward to eating Italian food, shopping at Italian markets and taking Italian public transport.
After talking to other students who have been abroad in the past, almost everyone says that being abroad was a time where they felt they could also learn about themselves. I am excited to become more independent and hopefully learn about myself while I learn about my surroundings. The next four months away from home are hopefully going to be some of my best and I am extremely fortunate to call Rome my new home!