In just a few short days, 15 to be exact; I will be embarking on my study abroad journey to Rome, Italy. For me, study abroad has always represented this time for independence and exploration. I have seen my friends come back from study abroad with more confidence in themselves and agency over their lives than they had before they left. They have this newfound sense of adventure, just within their day-to-day activities. As someone who loves routines and schedules, I sometimes find it difficult to venture outside of what I typically do. So this willingness to push boundaries within the ordinary has always been something I strive for. However, I think sometimes it takes picking up and moving to a different environment to test and push who you are and what you do. Our environment can sometimes overwhelm our identity, so removing ourselves and standing alone in a completely different place creates this opportunity to reflect on who we are separate from that environment. I think this is especially important for college students when school can take up so much of our identity. Being able to define ourselves outside of who we are at school I think will help us feel more self-assured when we enter the job market or graduate school since we won’t have that school identity to fall back on. So what I am really hoping is that this trip can build my independence, my confidence in who I am, and give me more of a sense of adventure.
And of course, while all of this self and world exploration is essential, at an extremely basic level I am just looking forward to making memories! I am excited to find my favorite pizza place (or places since I am sure there will be more than one), have amazing coffee every day, and get to know the people in our neighborhood. And on top of it all, I get to experience it all with an amazing group of students from Rollins. Having them there makes every part that much more meaningful. Just getting through the visa process together proved to me that we are going to make such a great team and support system for each other throughout this experience. At this point, I am just feeling extremely grateful and hopeful for this experience ahead of me!