Final Thoughts: Revelle in Rome

It has been four days since the end of the "Revelle in Rome" program, and I still can't quite get my head wrapped around it. In the blink of an eye, the program was over. Near the end of my stay in Rome, I remember wanting to go home so bad. However, now that I am home, I find myself already missing Rome much earlier than I anticipated.

Throughout my five weeks there, I discovered many things that I disliked about Rome. The scorching hot weather, the lack of drying machines, and the reckless driving by the locals were the aspects of Rome I've found to dislike the most. The city of Rome is a lot different from San Diego and the rest of the US. However, the fact that it so different is what I love about Rome the most.

Now that I am back in the states, I have learned to embrace how different Rome is from every other city and appreciate it. There is no other city that has perfected the art of historic preservation and adaptation as much as Rome has. The Colosseum was built in the 1st century, and so was the Pantheon. The Piazza Navona was once an arena before it became a marketplace and became a notable public square today. Some many other buildings and monuments have been standing for centuries. Simply put, Rome is a city frozen in time, something few cities can claim.

I am thankful for getting to go on the excursions in Rome every day. The program technically ended on Thursday, August 1st and we were given a free day on Friday to explore Rome. However, I did not feel the need to because I felt like I already explored every single corner of the city from our daily excursions. Not only were there excursions in Rome, but we also did a day trip in Tivoli and a full weekend of excursions in Florence as a class. Both of those experiences were wonderful, as it allowed me to learn more about Italy as a whole with no additional cost. I am beyond blessed to have visited these places and participated in the activities that this program offered.

I would like to thank the ISA staff in Rome for their tremendous work in organizing this successful program. It must have been hard to put a program like this together. I would like to thank my fellow members and students of the program. I am glad to have bonded with a handful of you in the program and I have truly been inspired by y'all. Last but not least, I would like to thank Professor Tronzo. I have never met another professor who cared so much about the wellbeing of their students. You offered the class free gelato THREE times. You blessed us with your great insight and knowledge about all the things we saw on the excursions, and you held helpful sessions in which you gave invaluable feedback on our essays. Revelle in Rome wouldn't be what it is without you.

All in all, I have no regrets about my time in Rome. It was a great program that left me with a lot of pleasant memories and experiences. It was an eye-opening experience and I learned not only a great deal about Rome but about myself. Studying abroad in Rome has by far been the greatest moment of my short college career and I will continue to cherish it for years to come.

A beam of light shining through the dome of the Pantheon, my favorite
attraction in Rome

The view from the top of the Duomo, a cathedral in Florence

A fountain at the Villa d'Este in Tivoli

Professor Tronzo and a fan