Like most people, I had a fantasy in my mind before studying abroad of what it was going to be like. I thought that I would travel to a new country every weekend, never have to do homework, become best friends with my roommates and that we would cook dinner all together, that I would be able to speak the language easily, and that I’d eat gelato daily. However, as I begin my 4th month of studying abroad in Rome, Italy, not even the gelato fantasy holds true. Does this mean I am not having the best time of my life? Absolutely not. But studying abroad is much different and, actually, better than I thought it would be.
While I have done a lot of traveling, I’ve only traveled to three countries aside from Italy. Going somewhere new every weekend is way harder than it seems and it actually takes a lot out of me. Also, I am so in love with Rome and Italy that most of my weekends and travels are spent in this beautiful country. Also, funds are limited. While traveling is much cheaper here than in the states, flights, trains, hostels, and food eventually really add up. Also, school here is equally if not more difficult than Rollins. I’m enrolled in 5 classes, and they require effort and work. Trying to juggle homework with travel and fun is not an easy task. Because Rollins is one of the only schools where classes directly transfer and affect your GPA, I can’t disregard classes while here. Time management is everything while you’re abroad! Living in an apartment is so fun and I do have wonderful roommates, but that doesn’t mean we all have the same values or ideas of our rooming situation. There is no shared meal time and we actually hang out less often as a group than I expected. As far as the language, I’m communicative in Italian but still embarrassingly mess up simple words all the time. And gelato, well I eat it almost daily, from the best little gelateria and caffè underneath my apartment building. The lessons I’ve learned while studying abroad in these 4 months have honestly surpassed my 20 years up until this point. Most of my best memories and the best growing experiences I’ve had came when I let go of my expectations and fully embraced my time here. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world!