Life in Rome
Well as of this morning, I am officially finished with summer classes! I took my two finals, one yesterday and the second one today, and it is a relief to have a break before Fall Quarter begins in less than two months.
The past five weeks have been absolutely amazing, and it is insane how quickly time has flown by. I am excited to return to the states because I miss my little brothers, my dog, my boyfriend, and some of the food that is not really common here in Rome (such as Mexican food), but I am also sad that the program is coming to an end. I am really sad to be leaving the most amazing shop in the world, Gelateria Giuffrรจ, because gelato is not very common back in the states and I have eaten gelato literally every single day, at least once, sometimes more than that.
On this trip, I made many amazing friends that I am excited to hang out with during the school year but I will miss them over the next few weeks because we do not live near each other so we will not see each other until school starts again. I still cannot believe I actually went to Italy this summer, and I am so appreciative of this entire experience.
Here are some things I learned and some things to be prepared for, as well as some anecdotal stories for anyone planning on studying in Rome in the future
1. It is HOT! And not only is it hot, but it is HUMID hot. I would say that for my friend and I, the worst day was when we went to the Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Forum, Palatine, and the Museo Nazionale Romano: Crypta Balbi all in the same day. We truly felt like we were dying. Basically, you are constantly sweaty and sticky, and you feel like you need to shower ten times a day. Short-sleeved clothing and bringing my Hydro-Flask from home definitely helped. Did I mention that the Roman water from the faucets all around the city is actually the best water I have ever had? "Church days" were also rough because we had to wear long pants to cover our knees and our shoulders had to be covered which meant no tank tops or carrying a jacket around all day. But hey, we survived!
2. Pickpocketing is very much a thing. Three (almost four) of my friends had their wallets stolen on this trip, and it happened in both large and small groups. My best advice would be to keep your bags in front of you as much as possible (even if you have a cross-body purse, try to have it more in front of you than on your side because this was one bag that got stolen from). Also, try not to carry much cash on you because that way if your wallet does get stolen, you are not out much physical money.
3. If you take this specific program (Revelle in Rome), make sure you are prepared to READ. Time management is definitely difficult here because you want to see the city but you also need to keep up with the work, and your sleeping schedule tends to get messed up very quickly. For me, it was exceptionally difficult because my boyfriend is a Marine so I would talk to him whenever he was available, which sometimes meant me staying up until 5:30 am on the phone with him as this was the only opportunity he got to talk.
4. Branch out and meet new friends! Now is the perfect opportunity to find new people to hang out with during both the trip and in the future. I actually became closer to the people on this trip than the people I lived with in the dorm last year because you are experiencing new things together. Also try to be friends with your professor! This is the perfect time to do so because you are in such an intimate setting.
Overall, my trip was filled with learning experiences and fun adventures. If I had more money, I would study abroad every summer, but we will see what happens. I leave for the US in about 18 hours, so I am off to see the city one last time.
Ciao!
The past five weeks have been absolutely amazing, and it is insane how quickly time has flown by. I am excited to return to the states because I miss my little brothers, my dog, my boyfriend, and some of the food that is not really common here in Rome (such as Mexican food), but I am also sad that the program is coming to an end. I am really sad to be leaving the most amazing shop in the world, Gelateria Giuffrรจ, because gelato is not very common back in the states and I have eaten gelato literally every single day, at least once, sometimes more than that.
On this trip, I made many amazing friends that I am excited to hang out with during the school year but I will miss them over the next few weeks because we do not live near each other so we will not see each other until school starts again. I still cannot believe I actually went to Italy this summer, and I am so appreciative of this entire experience.
Here are some things I learned and some things to be prepared for, as well as some anecdotal stories for anyone planning on studying in Rome in the future
1. It is HOT! And not only is it hot, but it is HUMID hot. I would say that for my friend and I, the worst day was when we went to the Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Forum, Palatine, and the Museo Nazionale Romano: Crypta Balbi all in the same day. We truly felt like we were dying. Basically, you are constantly sweaty and sticky, and you feel like you need to shower ten times a day. Short-sleeved clothing and bringing my Hydro-Flask from home definitely helped. Did I mention that the Roman water from the faucets all around the city is actually the best water I have ever had? "Church days" were also rough because we had to wear long pants to cover our knees and our shoulders had to be covered which meant no tank tops or carrying a jacket around all day. But hey, we survived!
2. Pickpocketing is very much a thing. Three (almost four) of my friends had their wallets stolen on this trip, and it happened in both large and small groups. My best advice would be to keep your bags in front of you as much as possible (even if you have a cross-body purse, try to have it more in front of you than on your side because this was one bag that got stolen from). Also, try not to carry much cash on you because that way if your wallet does get stolen, you are not out much physical money.
3. If you take this specific program (Revelle in Rome), make sure you are prepared to READ. Time management is definitely difficult here because you want to see the city but you also need to keep up with the work, and your sleeping schedule tends to get messed up very quickly. For me, it was exceptionally difficult because my boyfriend is a Marine so I would talk to him whenever he was available, which sometimes meant me staying up until 5:30 am on the phone with him as this was the only opportunity he got to talk.
4. Branch out and meet new friends! Now is the perfect opportunity to find new people to hang out with during both the trip and in the future. I actually became closer to the people on this trip than the people I lived with in the dorm last year because you are experiencing new things together. Also try to be friends with your professor! This is the perfect time to do so because you are in such an intimate setting.
Overall, my trip was filled with learning experiences and fun adventures. If I had more money, I would study abroad every summer, but we will see what happens. I leave for the US in about 18 hours, so I am off to see the city one last time.
Ciao!
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