I decided to study abroad in Italy mostly to see if I would want to live there in the future. I’ve never been away from home for a month before and I really had to adjust to the differences. I have a severe dairy allergy, which means no cheese, milk, etc. at all. I was very surprised at how easy it is for me to eat or find vegan alternatives in Italy – it was even easier to find dairy free gelato (ice cream) than it is here. There are a few things I missed like being able to find everything I need in the same place in a Wal-Mart, air conditioning, and a clothes dryer, but if a whole country can do it, I can too! It was surprising to notice small things like this that other countries do. One thing I’m very happy about is the amount of Italian I learned. I’ve been learning Italian for nearly a year and that was one of the classes I took over there. It did help me decide that I will finish learning Italian.
Rome is a big city, and I was worried about getting around. We got very familiar with the public transportation – we had to ride the tram and the bus to school. The busses can get you anywhere you need to get to in the city. I even rode trains to Pisa and to a beach one day. It was not hard at all to get around the country without a car.
I loved my experience in Italy, and I loved my provider ISA. We had weekend excursions that were planned very well – I saw Florence, Pisa, Naples, Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii, the countryside of Tuscany, and Rome. We went wine tasting in a castle in Tuscany, swam in front of Mount Vesuvius volcano in Capri, and tried pizza in its birthplace, Naples. I climbed up 552 steps to the top of St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican. I saw many famous paintings and statues that I learned about in Art History, which was just incredible to me. This was a once in a lifetime experience, and I even got to have my 19th birthday here. Staying in Italy was easy for me, and it exceeded my expectations. It was everything I always expected Italy to be and more. The people, the food, the architecture, and even the public transportation was wonderful. I am now confident that I will finish learning Italian, and I have considered going to graduate school or finding jobs in Italy, to live there at least for a short time.
I am already registered to study abroad again on a trip to Peru with the College of Business. I believe everyone should study abroad or at least visit another country if you’re thinking about it!
Kaylyn Miette Craig is majoring in Management. She spent the summer in Rome, Italy through ISA. Miette had the following to say about her time abroad, “Seeing Italy was always my childhood dream, and it was as perfect as I always imagined.”
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