From my time abroad in Rome, the aspect that has piqued my interest the most has been the public transportation system. I come from the Dominican Republic, which is a country that is not known for having a good public transportation system. When I moved to the United States, the aspect of transportation was very similar to back home. The DR and US are two countries in which people usually need to own a car to be able to move and get to different places. Before moving to the United States for college, I thought the public transportation system would be much better than the one I grew up with but once I got there, one of the biggest culture shocks I experienced was learning that the Sunrail, which has a station next to my school, did not take you to the airport. During my first two years of college, I felt extremely limited and trapped in Orlando without a car, Ubers can get pretty expensive and the city itself is not the most walkable. Up until my sister got a car in my third year, I didn’t really know much about the area that I studied in. I find that many Italians complain about their public transportation system, but from someone who has never lived in a place with efficient public transportation, they don’t know what they have. I have spent around 3 months living in Rome and in no moment have I ever felt the need for a car. The different options like buses, trams, and trains take you everywhere in the country for a small price. I’ve been able to go to the airport, the opposite side of Rome, and even different cities by just using public transportation here. The city is also incredibly walkable, which makes everything so easy. Even though I don’t have a car, I’ve explored more of Rome in a couple of months than of Orlando in years.
