Exactly 16 days until I depart for my study abroad semester in Rome, and I could not be more excited! Initially, when I was leaving all my friends at Rollins for winter break, and thinking about how I would not see many of them till the beginning of fall semester again, I was really upset. I started questioning me decision, what if I don’t have fun? What if I don’t make friends? What if I don’t like the school? What am I going to miss out on at Rollins? Consequently, I cried the whole plane ride home from Florida to St. Louis.
But tears aside, instead of focusing on everything I might miss, I have been focusing on everything I am going to gain and experience. I think my identity of being part Italian, will affect how I see and experience the world because I am very eager to learn about my ancestry. While being immersed in the culture, I hope to enhance my Italian identity by being knowledgeable on all things Rome including, history, traditions, people, customs, food, language, activities, and more. During my time abroad I plan to be open to trying anything, no matter how peculiar or different it may seem.
However, my identity as a student is most important. I want to gain a new educational experience and see how exposure to my major is similar and different than what I have learned in the United States. I plan on asking more questions than I usually do back home so I can really get a full understanding of what I am being taught. This will affect how I see the world because I want to become a better communicator and be able to communicate with everyone. To do this I will need to have a strong understanding of their daily life. I intend on taking full advantage of this opportunity by learning as much as I can, traveling wherever I can, and making lifelong connections with the people I meet during this experience. I will be able to apply my new knowledge and perspective to all aspects of my life in the future and be a better person because of it.