My name is Madelyn and I currently a sophomore majoring in Art History. So what better place to study than in Rome, Italy. I am from the south shore of Boston Massachusetts. Yes, I say wicked and my family eat sleeps and breaths hockey and my dad LIVEs for Patriots games (sorry for any non Pats fans). My family consists of me, my brother, my mom and my dad… three rescue cats, a dog, and my betta fish. I love to travel all around the world and have many opportunities to travel to places like Iceland, Check Republic, Croatia, and a few others. So one could say I like to travel… When the opportunity arose for me to study abroad of course I jumped on it as soon as I could.
For a long time I have dreamed about traveling to Italy and roaming (pun intended) the ancient streets of Rome. Passing by all the store fronts and admiring the Italian craftsmanship of the buildings, smelling the fine cheeses as I pass by stores, admiring the chefs as they pick the ripest tomatoes from their gardens. As a little girl this was only a dream I never knew it would come true. However, when I was a senior in high school my grandparents gave me the opportunity of a life time… To go on a cruise through the Mediterranean. It would start off with three days in Venice and end in Barcelona, Spain. This trip fueled something in me that wanted to learn more about the Italian way of life, ancient and modern a like.
Italy has such a rich history and booming modernizing culture that I find to be fascinating. I am from Boston, MA and over the past month I have been able to draw parallels between them. As a kid I went on school field trips into Boston and I distinctly remember tripping and falling on the cobble stone streets. In the moment I remember it hurt and I was a little shodden up but looking back on it… It’s kinda cool that I can say I tripped and fell on some of Americas oldest streets. Boston is also a modern city much like Rome. Boston is Americas medical capital and has a booming fish industry. While Rome is a contemporary art hub, as well as ‘foodie’ central. Some aspects of these cultures haven’t changed all that much. In Boston people are still fishing and in Rome artists are still producing art that has shocked the world.
As the holidays have come and gone I have realized that I value traditions but I believe there is room for change. As my brother and I have gotten older Christmas and New Years have changed. Every year on Christmas night my whole family goes over to my grandparents house where we feast and every year it is the same meal (which I am happy about because I love that meal). However, as we have gotten older some things have changed. He plays competitive hockey and I ski so we both go our separate ways after Christmas. In fact I am sitting in a ski lodge writing this enjoying an over priced hot chocolate while he is in Canada playing hockey. I have come to learn that with growth and age there comes change… and that is okay. Some change is good and welcomed while some change is… unwelcome but it is a part of growing up. I believe that so long as you keep your core values you will be fine in this world.
As I procrastinate to head back down to Boston I have realized that 1) I need to pack… a lot (still have not done that)… 2) I’ll miss my friends and family but I could not pass up an opportunity to live in a place where I have dreamed of visiting since I was little. I also know for a fact that my cat, Puma, will still be here when I return. Finally 3) I hope to grow as a person while abroad. I want to travel (of course!) but I also want to grow up as a student and I know for a fact that I will need to manage my time more as I travel around Europe.