By: Caroline Boschetto
Excitement and fear seem like such opposite emotions, yet they feel so similar. The fast breathing and thumping heart. The jitters and racing thoughts. It was hard for me to distinguish which of those two emotions I was feeling as I stood waiting for my luggage to appear on the belt in Fiumicino Airport, where I had arrived to begin a semester of study in Rome.
I am fortunate enough to be a decently experienced and independent traveler. Before arriving in Italy, I had already collected 19 different stamps in my passport, two of which were from a dialogue of civilizations in China and a co-op in Guatemala. And yet, despite how many times I’ve stepped off planes onto foreign lands, the dormant butterflies in my stomach still began to flutter.
When I received my acceptance letter to study abroad at The American University of Rome, I was sitting at my co-op desk in Guatemala. As an international affairs major, I was naturally ecstatic to hear that I would be jetting off on another foreign adventure. The year of 2017 was turning into a dream for me – spending 9 months out of 12 abroad.
Immediately, I began anticipating the culinary and architectural wonders of Italy that I would soon be immersed in. I started compiling lists of the Roman sites I could not miss and nearby cities that I hoped to tour on weekends. Once returning home from Guatemala, however, I became more focused on the logistical realities of my upcoming excursion.
Firstly, I began considering what challenges I might face in a country where I only knew a pitiful one or two words of its language. I love interacting with new people, especially when their experiences and backgrounds are different from mine. I decided to pursue a journalism minor at Northeastern partly because I love connecting with interesting individuals and hearing the story of what made them who they are.
While I am by no means fluent in Spanish, my intermediate skills carried me a long way in Guatemala and allowed me to interact and connect in a deeper way with the culture. Similarly, when in China last summer, I spent most of my time studying the language, which meant that local interactions were a natural part of my academics. The thought of missing out on these kinds of immersive experiences in Italy because of my own unpreparedness began to worry me, so I headed to the language section of Barnes and Noble and purchased a “Learn Italian in 12 Weeks” book set. Admittedly, between summer jobs and catching up with hometown friends, I only made it through half of the material. Nonetheless, even that little bit has paid off and given me more confidence arriving in this brand new culture.
A second matter of logistical concern for me was the course selection process at The American University of Rome. As many of my Northeastern peers know, trying to piece together the jigsaw of multiple majors or minors and transferred AP credits means there is little to no room for electives. Because of this, I had to diligently research study abroad programs to ensure that, despite how interesting an Italian food and culture class might be, the university could also offer courses to cover my core and major requirements.
After finding an appropriate program and ensuring that my credits would transfer back, my next order of business was making sure that I could get a slot in these critical classes. I found the online registration time and did the math twice to account for the time difference, but I still worried that being rejected from a class would throw off my entire academic plan. In order to be extra prepared, on the day of registration I logged into my account hours early to find the correct links ahead of time. I was shocked to realize that the time I was given had been wrong and that the slots had already begun to fill! While I still got seats in my classes, but this close call was a lesson on the value of being extra conscientious.
Far greater than my stresses and fears, however, was my excitement over studying in Rome. For years, I have striven to venture to countries as far away from my own as possible and to explore cultures as different from mine as a day is from night. This trip to Italy will be one of the first times I will not only being learning about a culture that is foreign but also a culture that is part of my history, as I am a quarter Italian. My ancestors emigrated from Milan generations back, so I have never viewed Italy as my “homeland” per se. Nevertheless, my Italian last name of Boschetto, meaning little forest, as well as my Dad’s Italian-influence cooking techniques make me feel a connection with this land. While many elements of Rome, including the language, tipping customs, and transportation, have felt foreign to me, small familiarities such as finding lupine beans – which my family always buys at specialty Italian stores – stocked on shelves here make me feel a little more at home.
As I get acclimated to Rome during the first few days before the start of the semester, I have also begun to see the sights, hear the music, and taste the rich flavors that I had dreamed of for so long. When my five new roommates and I visited the Colosseum for the first time a few nights ago, one of them commented, “I almost didn’t even think it really existed! It seems like the kind of place that only exists in post cards.” Staring up at the illuminated arches of the ancient structure, I felt she had stolen the words from my mouth. It dawned upon me that I am actually here, experiencing moments that will stay with me forever.
Although I did feel that healthy twinge of apprehension standing at the edge before leaping into this new world, it is gone now. While I’m the only student from Northeastern here and while my Italian is definitely not as strong as that of others, I am making new friends and expanding my vocabulary every day. I can hardly wait to find out what has yet to come here in the Eternal City!
