Rome: Caput Mundi

There's a little over a month left of my study abroad experience. As I look back upon what I've done from the beginning, I'm blown away by all that I've been able to see and do. I am so blessed to have be given such a great opportunity to experience something that I will just about never have the ability to do again, thanks for financing this Dad :) 

I've realized that up until now, I've just given you a broad idea of all the places I've gone and things I've experienced but never gave much explanation about how I was feeling about all of this. So, I will attempt to sum up all the thoughts I've had on this semester so far. And, for those of you who really know me, I never really do much of this talking about myself in this way so excuse me for any rambling that I will inevitably do! Haha

I experienced culture shock pretty early on and believe me, it was a pretty bad case of it. A lot of my friends here are experiencing it now or just getting over it, but I’ve been there done that and moved on. A lot of things I hated during that time I now love: how different Italy is from home…McDonalds, KFC, and Burger King at the main tourist spots are  just about the only similarity, my apartment…it may be far from school and everything else, but I have a view of the Vatican FROM MY BALCONY, my living situation…still a struggle, really, our apartment is dirty 95% of the time but I’ve started to find alternatives, and missing my family and friends…still miss them but have found good friends here. I guess culture shock isn’t really something that can be explained, the closest thing I can think of is the scary first month of college when you’re getting used to everything new and are away from home for the first time, but exponentially worse because it’s somewhere that no one speaks your language and the culture is so different from your own. It was pretty awful at the time, which you can ask anyone who I talked to then, but I’m so much better now.

Now, I walk down the streets amazed that I am living here in this city, in this foreign country. I love that things are so different and always new. I can wander around Rome and get lost in the backstreets and cobblestone alleys. I don’t want to leave Rome with any regrets; I want to experience all that I can in this city. I’m trying to take in everything and actually learn something about myself and will definitely give you that summary once I finish this experience :) As a finish up the next month, I never want to forget how blessed I am to be in this place experiencing all kinds of new things. I love everything about Rome and will be so sad when I leave it.