From the moment, I landed in Rome there were a lot of fears, hopes and expectations I carried off the plane with me. For the most part, some of them came from the relentless research I did prior to departure whereas the rest of them stemmed from my insecurities about the trip. However, I’m confident that after reading this post you’ll be able to ascertain which one came from where.
Pertaining to my fears, according to popular sources, Rome is one of the top pickpocket locations in Europe. In fact, it has been noted that these pickpockets tend to not only go after money but also passports as well as other forms of identification. Therefore, when my flight landed at the Fiumicino Airport a wave of paranoia settled on me as I gathered my belongings to head to the John Cabot University arrival area. On that day, all I remember thinking was “What if I lose my passport today?” and “Should I doublecheck my bag to see if everything is still there?” All in all, filing a police report for a stolen passport, ID or credit card is the last thing I need this semester. In fact, even though lost or stolen passports are easily replaceable after a quick trip to the U.S. embassy, they are quite expensive, usually ranging from around $110-$135 dollars. Hence, as an act of fear, I decided to make a habit of walking down the streets of Rome clutching my bag as close to my chest as I possibly can.
In addition, being a victim of sexual assault is another thing to watch out for if you happen to walk the streets of Rome alone as a woman. From current events, according to The Local, a woman of German citizenship was raped and tied naked to a pole at the Villa Borghese Park last year. Not only has this made me conscious of my surroundings at night but I am also wary of the attention I get from various Italian men. Therefore, as I study abroad at John Cabot University for the next four months, it’s important for me to remember that not every Italian has my best interests at heart. As a result, I will try not to walk the streets of Rome alone in the middle of the night. Doing this puts me in a vulnerable position to other men who may take advantage of it.
However, despite my fears, there are many reasons why this semester excites me. For one thing, I have the chance to practice my ability to speak and write in Italian since I will be surrounded by locals, Italian students, as well as bilingual professors who are native speakers of the language. In fact, a couple of days ago, I was able to utilize my skills while shopping at a local supermarket near my Trastevere apartment. In this scenario, I wanted to know where the eggs were located since I wasn’t able to find them on the refrigerated shelves. Therefore, with complete confidence, I was able to utter the question, “Dove sono le uova?” to communicate with the grocer. With courtesy, the grocer understood me completely and directed me to an uncooled shelf where all the eggs were located in cartons of six. As a result, while abroad, I hope to engage in many scenarios similar to the one I just mentioned since it gave me a boost of confidence I never thought I would receive.
In addition, traveling beyond the borders of Rome excites me as well. Here in Europe, there are cheap budget airlines study abroad students should take advantage of in order to travel to various cities such as Barcelona, London, Amsterdam and etc. Ryanair, one of these budget airlines, offers flights from Rome to other countries for less than 50 euros if you check their website frequently. In fact, many travel agencies target study abroad students as clients for various day trips, weekend trips, and spring breaks. With Bus2Alps, a student tour agency, I plan to take a day trip Venice, a weekend trip to Paris to visit my penpal Marion as well as a spring break trip to Greece, in order to island hop from Athens, to Santorini, and to Corfu. As an American, I may never find a cheaper deal to travel to other countries so while I’m abroad I plan to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way.
Lastly, as a supplement to traveling, meeting other people can be exhilarating too. I plan on traveling solo from time to time as I embark on weekend excursions. By doing this I am giving myself the opportunity to come outside my comfort zone in order to make new friends and connect with the locals. In fact, with Bus2Alps, a small section of students are known for traveling solo so it’s completely acceptable if you don’t want to book a tour with a group of American friends from your program. Branching out of the stereotypical American bubble is essential in order to form long-lasting friendships with other Europeans. In fact, knowing the words of courtesy in their native language goes a long way as well. In Italian, these words of courtesy could be “per favore – please”, “prego – you’re welcome”, as well as “mi scusi – excuse me”.
Overall, by the end of the program there’s so much I want to bring back to my home country. For one thing, I would like to bring back a sense of confidence in my Italian speaking and listening proficiency. In high school, listening to Italian from an audio clip seemed to jumble up my mind since it wasn’t a live conversation where I was able to follow the speakers’ lips verbatim. Here in Rome, I’m able to improve my listening and segmentation, by eavesdropping on locals chatting away on the tram or by turning on the television to the local news. In addition, I hope this trip helps my journey to self-discovery. At John Cabot University, I will constantly push myself to grow in different directions while also trying new activities I’ve always been interested in such as hiking, cooking or watching the ballet.
All in all the possibilities are endless!
“These are pictures of the Trastevere neighborhood. I tend to walk by these specific buildings on my way to classes”
