My experience through this study abroad trip was like nothing I have ever experienced. I heard about this trip through a friend and immediately signed up. I didn’t know anyone in the class, and I had never traveled outside the country before. When the time came to get to the airport, I was able to slowly talk to the people whom I would be in a different country with for eleven days. My experience traveling through the airports was fun and easier than I expected, seeing people from many different countries all going to the same place.
When arriving in Italy, I quickly became friends with a girl named Peyton while we journeyed to our hotel. I was amazed by everything I was seeing, the scenery, people, and different languages. Experiencing a different culture for the first time is shocking, sometimes you don’t know how to act. I was beyond excited when we arrived at our hotel because I could finally lay down and sleep in a different country.
On our first night, we went on a night tour of Rome, and it was an unbelievable sight. Everywhere you look, there are huge buildings that are unreal. We walked through the streets of Rome and got to experience what nightlife is like to Romans. We went to places like the Galleria Borghese, Basilica of Saint Paul, Colosseum, and the Roman Forum during our next few days in Rome. Although a lot of walking, it was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. We also got to see the Vatican City, Saint Peter’s Basilica, and the Trevi Fountain. Seeing sights that have been in this world for thousands of years is something that very few people get to experience, and I am glad I took the opportunity.
While the sights we saw were amazing, the food was the best part of the experience. The foods in Italy are fresh and light, and I do not think I ever tasted anything with that flavor. I ate bruschetta every day because I could not get enough! During our tours of Italy and free time, I made friends with everyone on the trip, something I did not expect. Personally, I am not great at making friends but putting myself in a situation where I am surrounded by a group of people all day every day, it was hard not to make friends.
Traveling to Italy was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I got to eat the most amazing food, see unbelievable sights, and make a best friend. I recommend studying abroad through UTC, no matter the location because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you can make friends who also attend UTC.
Chloe Carney (BS Marketing) spent Spring Break 2022 in Rome, Italy as part of a faculty-led trip linked with a UTC course. Chloe had the following to say about study abroad, “Travel when the opportunity is in front of you.”
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