I miss…African Hair Braiding Salons
Apparently, finding an African Hair Braiding Salon in Rome is like finding a needle in a haystack. Since Europe stands as a predominantly Caucasian country it doesn’t necessarily need to cater to the needs of those comprising African descent. In fact, even if I googled “hair braiding salons in Rome” the search engine usually generalizes it to all hair salons, making it more difficult. Therefore, I miss how accessible African hair braiding salons are in NYC compared to my host country, Italy.
…American Breakfast
In Italy, eating breakfast there has increased by blood sugar level significantly. I never would’ve expected pastries, desserts and cookies to be the most important meal of the day in the Eternal City. Therefore, I realized, not every country takes breakfast seriously as the United States. In fact, I never thought I would appreciate the American Breakfast even more. Eating ciambellas, croissants, and cookies every morning does not fit into my morning routine very easily. Therefore, if i have time in the morning, I usually like to make an American substitute.
…U.S. Outlets
The fact that I have to use an international travel adapter to charge everything extremely frustrates me. I miss the typical ease of being able to plug any of my electronics into an outlet without worrying about the voltage or the shape of the prongs. Even though my adapter works efficiently, to Italians it just screams foreigner! Not only do I stand out with it but I also have to bring it with more everywhere or else I’ll be completely helpless. In fact, since I use it so much sometimes I wonder if I’m destroying my electronics the more I charge them in this country.
…My Bed
After sleeping from hostel to hostel, I miss the comfort of my own bed. I, of course have a single in my apartment in Trastevere but I’m stuck to using used sheets, given by the University as well as towels. My bed at home holds my most cherished sheets and pillows. If I could just go home for one weekend to sleep in my bed, I would. However, studying abroad strips you away from everything that was once familiar to you. Not only does sleeping in a hostel bed feel strange but it’s definitely almost always a bunk bed situation. Therefore, I plan to just cope with the rest of the time I have here.
…The Public Transportation
If you ever go to London or France, I would like to warn you that as a New Yorker their public transportation system give me anxiety. The words “uptown” and “downtown” no longer exist. In fact, these cities based their transportation system on the “zones”. Therefore, the farther out you go from Zone 1, the more money you’re expected to pay. In fact, I just miss the ease of being able to take the subway in NYC without a care in the world. Therefore, studying abroad has made me realize that adjusting to a new public transportation system isn’t as easy as it looks.
…the Eastern Standard Time Zone
I never thought I would miss Eastern Standard Time until I studied abroad. In fact, a six-hour time difference, makes a huge difference in my book. Whenever, I want to talk to people back home when I wake up they’re sleeping. If they want to talk to me after they’re done with work; I’m usually on my way back to bed. Therefore, while in Italy, I have a huge disadvantage when it comes to communicating with you loved ones back home. If there was a way for me to make all of the time zones the same, I would surely do it.
…Snell Library
At Northeastern, Snell Library remains open for 24 hours a day and seven days a week in most cases, making itself highly accessible for students, faculty and alumni. However, now that I’m studying abroad at John Cabot University I’ve noticed a slight difference in their library’s hours of operation. Since JCU needs security guards present at all times in front of every campus building the only time they’re able to keep watch 24/7 is when they’re guarding a residence building. Therefore, the Frohring Library closes at 9:45pm and sometimes 8:45pm on Fridays and the weekend. As a result, I make an effort to do my homework in the 24 hour study room in Scala C of the Trastevere Apartments or in the comfort of my bedroom.
…My Christian Ministry
In Boston, I have an amazing Christian ministry that I’m apart of and I miss it so dearly. In fact, the idea of Christian clubs and ministry doesn’t exactly exist in Italian universities. From what I’ve been told, not a lot of Italian college students believe in God as much anymore. Therefore, the idea of starting a Christian ministry on their campus never really comes to mind. As a result, with a little research, I joined some external Christian groups outside of JCU to help me explore my faith more.
…My Family
Lastly, I miss my family most of all. It’s difficult not being able to talk to them everyday due to the time difference and the connection. There’s been so much going on at home that I’ve been missing out on while I’m abroad. At this point, there’s nothing left I can do but just shower them with gifts and souvenirs once I return home in May.
Thank you so much for reading and I’ll see you again at my next post.
Jade
