Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience I had always anticipated during my college career, and this semester I finally had the chance to go overseas and study in Rome, Italy. The thought of leaving the familiarity of home and the University of Maryland campus for four whole months was both exhilarating and terrifying; I had heard nothing but positive things about studying abroad, but still didn’t know what to expect. Homesickness was at the top of my list, which would undoubtedly be followed by a desire to stay in Rome forever.
Nothing could have prepared me for how homesick I would really feel. Adjusting to the new language, different surroundings, strange faces, and overall different way of life here was so difficult that by the first week, I was counting down the days until I could go back to the states.
The public transportation confused me, the 20-minute uphill walk to school gave me shin splints (though it was no worse than walking up that monster hill by Stamp), and grocery shopping was exhausting: you have to bring your own canvas shopping sack or pay extra for a tiny plastic bag, which will most likely rip halfway home and dump all your contents on to the ground.
After one more week of this moping, I finally snapped to my senses. Here I was in Europe, whining about my lack of a car or Chipotle or iced coffee (they really hate ice in anything here!), when it was an experience that other people would absolutely kill for. I was going to make the best of it and finally learn to be independent.
I quickly made new friends and found my favorite pizza place with the best suppli, which are fried balls of rice, Bolognese sauce, and melted cheese. I learned how to ride the tram and order sliced turkey at the meat counter without looking like a complete fool. And I even grew used to the tiny kitchen with a gas lit stove, a contraption that I had been scared to use because it requires reaching your arm in and lighting it with a match. Plus, the nightlife here is ideal for people like me who have become tired of the Route 1 bars or Knox Box party.
So here I am now at the halfway mark of my semester here, and there’s still so much left to do! Spring break was spent in Belgium and Amsterdam, and I still have weekends in Paris, Greece, Barcelona, and the Amalfi Coast to look forward to. I also noticed over spring break that, surprisingly, I’ve come to regard my tiny Roman apartment as home. After a few days of traveling, I was eager to come back. It’s a strange and unexpected feeling.
I feel like I’ve lived here for months and have known my new friends for a lifetime, yet everything has passed so quickly that it feels like I arrived just yesterday, skeptical and with too much luggage in hand. Everyone was right when they said I would never want to leave. But there’s also a tiny part of me that cannot wait to be reunited with the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in 7 months.