Welcome! <3
When the opportunity to study abroad arose, I instantly knew I needed to take advantage of it. I looked into so many different options, but when I saw that there was a program in Rome, Italy, I applied right away. This country’s culture, cuisine, and architecture have always been interesting to me and I knew I needed to experience them. And I have done just that!
Thank you for swinging by, I hope you enjoy my Italian journey, and I hope this inspires you to travel abroad!
Testimonial:
I chose this program because of the location and time of the year it was offered. CIEE is good about offering programs for students in both semesters and quarters. They had multiple options in Italy, both of which aligned with the quarter system that UW follows.
I faced a couple of challenges while being abroad, including currency issues, culture shock, and travel challenges. I was told that Visa gift cards worked in Italy, and in fact they do, just not the ones that say “Valid Only in the United States” at the bottom of the card. Make sure that if you are going to do visa cards you check the fine print! Culture shock is inevitable, and unfortunately, there isn’t much that you can do. You have to ride the wave, and it will pass soon enough. Try sticking to a routine that you used at home to create a rhythm that feels normal to you, it helps! And last but certainly not least, traveling and transportation are things that you MUST master while in Italy. It’s hard to feel confident especially if you don’t use public transportation at home, but after you start using the transportation, you’ll get the hang of it. Italy has a Taxi system (unreliable), Uber (also unreliable depending on the time of day), public bus (some lines are unreliable), the metro (very reliable), the train (very reliable, unless there is a strike), and the airports (self-explanatory). All of this being said, your own two feet will be the best way to get around, and it’s cheap!
There are so many anxieties that I faced before starting my global experience. A few including, but certainly not limited to:
- What if I don’t make any friends?
- My campus is so far away, how am I going to get there every day?
- What if no one wants to travel with me?
- Will I be safe?
- I don’t know the language, am I going to be okay?
I felt every single one of these anxieties, but trust me, everything will work out. Everyone in your program is in the same boat as you, and more often than not, no one knows anyone going into the program, and everyone wants to make friends. You will be walking EVERYWHERE, and your commute to campus, depending on where it is, will feel like a breeze. Remember, you can always take the bus or lime scooter. Solo traveling is huge in Europe. So many of the girls in my program would catch a train to Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples, etc., and not a single one of them regretted traveling alone. It does take common street smarts to be able to navigate traveling throughout Europe, but it’s certainly not complicated, and everywhere you go, there will be someone who speaks English!
My whole point of going abroad was to gain more perspective on this huge world that we live in. I am someone who grew up in the same house, did not “go away” to college, and is still living with her parents. I needed this trip more than anything. Italian culture is so hard not to be impressed and breath taken by, and I knew I needed to be a part of a different culture like this to gain the perspective I felt I was missing.
A big plus of going abroad is that employers, schools, etc. love seeing it on your resume! And being in a European country, it has taught me a lot about professionalism, while also learning a lot about myself. Europeans do not dress casually! Everywhere you go, at least in Rome, there are professionals in their business attire. Regardless of where they are going, they look as if they could be going to a wedding at any moment. Their demeanor is also very professional; they carry themselves with such pride, it’s inspiring.
2. During your global experience
I chose to take classes abroad, although I did look into the internship programs but taking classes fit with my schedule better. I took two courses while abroad. They offer courses Monday-Thursday, and have three-day weekends (this was amazing). I took Mythology and Architecture and Power, Politics, and Law: Mafia, Camorra, and Gamorrah. These classes challenged my perspective of Roman culture and I learned so much more about Italy’s rich history. During my mythology and architecture class, we only had 3 sessions in the classroom, while the rest were on-site at various museums. This course led me to the infamous Vatican Museums, Capitoline Museums, Barberini Palace, Borghese Museum, etc. I cannot make this up, it was like a dream come true. My power, politics, and law class was structured differently, with the majority of our classes being lectures in the classroom. It‘s hard to complain about sitting through a three-hour lecture when your classroom looks like a hall straight out of the Vatican Museum. There is so much more to Italian culture than the typical pasta, pizza, and wine. The intensity of every art piece I encountered and the detail is amazing.
• How are you influencing others? How are they influencing you?
I would say that other people are influencing me in the best way possible. The best part of going abroad, for me, has been meeting new people. I have learned a lot about myself through interacting with others. I have met people from South America to Switzerland, and they are all so friendly. More than 75% of people in Rome in the summertime are travelers that are either traveling alone or with a group and are looking for a good time. Meeting all of these new people has taught me that although it is scary going abroad, I am braver than I think, and I will meet people wherever I go.
• What were the expectations you had about your program and how were they different from your experience?
My expectations for my program were very low considering I did not know much about studying abroad, let alone Rome. The environment and atmosphere of Rome are very tourist-friendly with friendly locals everywhere. Lots of people are willing to help if you get lost or need directions.
I had somewhat of an idea of what to expect but any thought that I had was blown out of the water when I stepped foot into the campus for the first time. I mean, nothing beats an ancient Roman building as your campus. My classes were split between on-site visits and lectures, and each session was packed full of rich information about Italy’s culture.
Everything from going to the beach to going out with your new study-abroad friends was amazing! I cannot encourage you enough to put yourself out there and build friendships with the people in your program. My favorite part of my trip will always be meeting new people and creating new and unique relationships!
3. Preparing to finish your global experience
This program has been a dream come true for me. I have been wanting to travel the world ever since I was young, and this program was the best way to kick start my travel journey. That being said, I am ready to come home. I think that the 7 weeks I have spent here went exactly as planned and I could not have wished for a better group of people to be abroad with. There are a lot of things that I am going to miss about Rome, and I will never forget its beauty and the people it brought me, but I really do miss my family and friends. It’s so funny, I never thought I would miss America because it’s all I’ve ever known, but being in Europe, it’s hard not to recognize the differences and how good we have it. I mean, America has ranch and Europe does not, enough said.
Something I would like to continue working on after my program are the friendships I have made. I think that it is so important to build strong relationships and actually maintain them. Being abroad and experiencing travel and new things with people, good and bad, really builds a different kind of connection, one worth keeping!
4. Post global experience
- Reflecting on your experience what is something that you would do differently?
Something I would have done differently is take more solo trips. When I first arrived, I was overwhelmed and scared to travel alone. After getting comfortable with the environment, I realized that solo traveling was a big part of European culture. A lot of people in my program took a lot of solo trips and said they were their favorite parts of the trip. There is something so powerful about being independent and traveling the world taking yourself to the spots you have dreamt of going your whole life.
•What are the most important things you’ve learned about yourself?
Boy did I learn a lot about myself on this trip!? I found a new sense of confidence and independence throughout my time abroad. Being able to navigate a city as big and bustling as Rome is another kind of accomplishment. I also found out how important positive relationships are in my life. Being with roommates you don’t know and people you don’t know while navigating a relationship with them while being in another country is tricky. Creating boundaries and healthy communication was a huge part of this! I am normally a people pleaser, but setting boundaries was something I needed to learn on this trip, and I am so happy I was able to do so.
To learn more about Sofia’s experience check out her own blog website where she discusses pre-departure knowledge, her excursions and life in Rome!
https://sites.google.com/view/sofiasoderblomblogpost/home?authuser=0
