I can’t emphasize the importance of good friends and an open mind enough. I had a tough first few weeks adjusting to Rome, mainly because I missed all my amazing friends and family back home and at Rollins. However, I realized a big reason was because I hadn’t found “my people” while abroad, which made me miss my life back in the States even more. I have a good group of friends from school, who are also my roommates, but I realized that I hadn’t made an large enough attempt to branch out. I was under the impression that by talking to the other people in ISA in passing, I was branching out, but then I began to make plans with the other students in my program, either without my roommates or with just one, in order to really branch out and get to know these other people. Now I truly feel that I’ve met friends that I will remain in contact with for a very long time. With half of my study abroad experience being over, I’m starting to wish time would slow down a little. Two of my new friends have already made plans to come visit me in Orlando and I’m super excited to show them Rollins and it’s comforting to know that December won’t be the last time that I see them. We’re also planning some last minute weekend trips in late November and early December to places like Berlin and Amsterdam. It’s important to realize that although your study abroad experience may involve a magical city, your time abroad won’t always be rainbows and sunshine, but the importance of finding a solid group of friends abroad that help make the tough days a little easier is probably one of the most important pieces of advice that I can give. I still miss home, some days more than others, but I already know that once my time in Rome is over, I will really miss my life and friends here. However, like I mentioned in my previous blog post, it’s important to live in the moment and that’s what I plan, and remind myself daily, to do!