Study Abroad Experience
On June 27, 2018, I embarked on my first international flight. After crossing the Atlantic, I first stopped at Dublin Airport while the sun was rising. A few hours later, I landed at Rome's Fiumicino Airport and was on my way to my apartment in Trastevere, which would be my home for the next six weeks. I navigated the streets of Rome, met wonderful people, drank a cappuccino a day, learned about Italian history and culture, studied at the American University of Rome, and fell in love with traveling abroad. Aside from studying and touring the historical sites of Rome, I ventured throughout the country and some of the highlights are below.
Florence & Chianti
I took a train from Rome to Florence for the weekend. As the birthplace of the Renaissance and an economic hub for fashion, art, and tourism, Florence was one of the most culturally significant cities I have ever visited. On the first day, we toured the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia to visit Michelangelo's David. The next day, we toured the city's gorgeous churches, including the Basilica of Santa Croce, which houses the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Niccolo Machiavelli. Overlooking the Tuscan countryside, we toured the facilities of Castello di Verrazzano in Chianti, which produces wine, balsamic vinegar, cheese, and more. They served us a farm-to-table lunch and we got the chance to taste their wines.
Pompeii & Ischia
With Mount Vesuvius in the distance, you can imagine the enormity of the volcano that destroyed the city of Pompeii in 79 A.D. Fortunately for my admiration of history, the eruption preserved the remains of this civilization so that I could walk among the temples and homes from thousands of years ago. After an afternoon in Pompeii, we boarded a ferry to Ischia. I spent the first day at Poseidon Gardens, a resort filled with dozens of thermal baths thanks to the volcanic material of the island. If you had told me that I would climb up to the peak of a mountain before this trip, I would have laughed in your face. Despite several months of hiatus from the gym, I chose to push myself while studying abroad (maybe beyond my limits). While on the island of Ischia, right off the coast of Naples, we chose to hike from the small village of Serrara Fontana to the peak of Mount Epomeo, which hovers over the island at 789 meters tall. Due to the elevation and strenuous activity, I almost turned back a few times. Making it to the peak was an accomplishment I will never forget. I felt on top of the world, and I was!
Hadrian's Villa & Tivoli
About 40 minutes east of Rome was the site of Hadrian's Villa, an archeological site originally built by Roman Emperor Hadrian during the 2nd century A.D. We ate lunch at Antiche Terme di Diana, which is a family restaurant carved hundreds of meters into the grounds that housed the ancient baths of Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting, the moon, and nature. They presented a lesson in pasta-
making, and then we indulged in homemade ravioli, caprese, Roman style chicken, and raspberry tiramisu. The remainder of the day was spent exploring Villa d'Este, a 16th-century villa sprawling with Renaissance gardens and fountains. This was easily the most beautiful place I have ever seen, and arguably the most romantic since I witnessed a man propose to his girlfriend in front of Neptune's Fountain.
London
I realize London is not in Italy, but we used a free weekend to add one more country to our list. After just a 2.5 hour flight, we ran around London and visited its most famous sites, such as the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey. We went to the Tate Modern Museum of Art and the National Gallery, in which I saw Claude Monet's Water Lilies and Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers. With only a few hours left in the vibrant city, we followed a guide around London on a Beatles tour. We visited Paul McCartney's SoHo office, the recording studio where "Hey Jude" was recorded, the rooftop of their last live performance, and the iconic Abbey Road.
Rome
I lived at Via Filippo Casini, 6, in Rome for six weeks. After a short transition, this city became my home away from home. I took the bus to classes each afternoon, and I took the tram to Piazza Venezia at night with friends to explore the city's treasures. We toured the infamous Colosseum, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Vatican, Capitoline Hill, and more. We shopped in Piazza di Spagna, and took frequent gelato breaks. I even jumped at the chance to see Beyonce and Jay-Z perform at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.
Coursework in Italy
During my stay in Rome, I was able to connect with my Jewish heritage both inside and outside the classroom. In my Italian Cinema and Culture class, my professor discussed topics such as the rise of fascism in Italy, the relationship between Mussolini and Hitler, and the impact of the Holocaust and WWII on Italy. We watched the film "La Vita e Bella" or "Life is Beautiful" (1997), which chronicles the tale of an Italian Jew who tries to help his son survive a concentration camp. This was my favorite film from the class because it really touched at my emotions and had a beautiful message about love and resilience.
Outside the classroom, we toured the Jewish Ghetto, which featured the Great Synagogue of Rome (pictured left) and a museum about Jewish history in Rome. Sprawled throughout the city are hundreds of "stumbling stones" that commemorate Jews that were killed during the Holocaust. The stones feature their names, dates of birth, dates and locations of deaths. Many were arrested and later executed in Auschwitz concentration camp. They are dispersed throughout the city so that you stumble upon them unexpectedly, and think about their memory.
My classmate and I prepared an in-depth PowerPoint presentation on Roman Jewish History that can be accessed by the button below.
Reflecting on My Adventures Abroad
My study abroad experience in Italy has left a profound impact on my individual growth. As a result of my immersion in another culture, I have developed a greater sense of self-reliance, confidence, problem-solving, resourcefulness, and flexibility. Leaving the United States for the first time and living in a foreign country meant that I usually did not know what I was doing. I could not speak the native language and I could not navigate the streets. There were many instances in which I had to trust my instincts and decide to turn down one winding street versus another. I developed confidence and learned to take more initiative; when my group of friends did not know where to go, I took charge and lead them to our destination.
I had to be resourceful and flexible because there were multiple cultural differences from my American life. I had never used a gas stove before, but the stove in our apartment had to be lit manually with a lighter. I struggled with the many locks on our front door, but I had to adapt because that door was originally built in the 900s AD. The showers were very small so I had to adapt and figure out how to wash my hair without hitting my arms on the walls. Luckily, I am not a picky eater and I do not have allergies. Since I did not speak Italian, I could not read food labels at cafes and often could not ask the server what was in the sandwich. Because of this, I would just point to anything that looked appetizing, and it always was! Due to that language barrier, I often relied on context clues or social norms. While in the grocery store, a woman struggled to reach yogurt from the top shelf. Since I am 5 feet 9 inches tall, I am used to people asking for my help reaching things. She spoke to me in Italian but gestured to the shelf, so I just grabbed the item for her because I assumed what she needed without understanding her words. I did not gain a proficiency in the language, but I learned enough to get by. I picked up the phrases necessary to greet storeowners in Italian and to be polite. I also learned the names of several gelato flavors that became my favorites. Because there were many Italians who understood English, I learned how to say “do you speak English?” so that we could converse.
My experience abroad made me more adventurous, flexible, and willing to try new things. I tried new foods like wild boar in Florence and mussels in Ischia. I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone and ventured to new heights—such as the mountain I climbed in Ischia and the cupola I climbed in the Vatican. After six weeks in Rome, it felt like home. I could navigate the streets without a map because I had walked among them so frequently. I appreciated every moment I had overseas. It was not just about hopping from one city to the other and checking them off my list. It was about the journey there as well—gazing at the sunflower fields on the train ride to Florence and admiring the hillside villages on the bus ride to Tivoli. I developed an appreciation for the minute details that make up the full experience.
