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Choosing to Study Abroad is one of the best decisions I have ever made. This past summer I lived in Rome, Italy for six weeks through a program called Study Abroad Italy. SAI really impressed me at Auburn’s Study Abroad fair.  I chose to study abroad because I felt like I needed a change in my life and it sounded much more interesting than working behind a desk at an internship.  Little did I know how much this experience would enrich my life and help me become a better person.  I feel it has helped me to take on whatever comes my way. The life lessons and people skills that I acquired while in Italy are things I could have only learned from an experience like this, not sitting in a classroom.  Before I left for Italy I considered myself a pretty self-sufficient person who could make it on my own.  However, after living in a foreign country and encountering several day to day challenges such as… having to communicate on a everyday basis with people who spoke a completely different language, planning my entire travel arrangements every weekend, figuring out mass transit, and learning how to really understand a map has reinforced my self confidence.  Being in a foreign country allows you to gain a better perspective on how broad life is and teaches you to appreciate certain amenities in America that you previously have taken for granted.  I now feel better prepared to enter the “Real World” and believe that I will be able to offer a company much more due to the situations I encountered when in Italy.  

During my six weeks in Italy I traveled all over the country on the weekends to beautiful places like Venice, Positano, Pompeii, Florence, and Sorrento.  I really enjoyed living in a major city because it had so much to offer.  Travel was easy due to the proximity of the European rail system, major highways and airports.  I was fortunate enough to be in Italy when they won the World Cup which was quite an experience in itself.  It was so amazing to see how much the Italians love their country and supported their team.  The Romans are the nicest people you will ever meet (other than people at Auburn of course). They were so helpful when I was trying to talk with them and were just so excited and honored that I chose to visit their country. I fully experienced the phrase “When in Rome…” and loved how they live everyday to the fullest.  I have defiantly brought back the carefree attitude of the Romans and my life has gone so much smoother ever since.  I can’t fully describe how amazing this whole experience was and how much I miss Italy but I can say that if you have the opportunity to go abroad then take it and enjoy ever minute of it.  I will forever hold Italy near and dear to my heart and hopefully will go back there soon.