Fulfillment. There is no better word to describe this semester than that. As the semester came to a close, saying goodbye to all of the new friends I've made, and patiently awaiting the arrival of my Dad and sister, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my semester abroad. Coming abroad was never in my plan, but as it turns out it was in God's plan, so I am truly blessed. My decision to come to Rome was extremely last minute, and my last minute I mean that I started the application a week before it was due. Luckily, that last minute, going out on a limb was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The past four months have proven to have been the best of my life. In a short re-cap I've been living in the heart of Rome, 10 minutes from the Vatican, for four months, traveled outside of Italy to Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, London and Oxford, England, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Paris, France, and within Italy to Arezzo, Orvieto, Assisi, Siena, Pienza, Florence, Santa Marinella, Sorrento, Naples, Ariccia, Pisa, Bologna, Cinque Terre, Venice, Pompeii, and Capri, went to all seven Pilgrim churches in Rome, attended the canonization Mass for seven new saints, ate countless amounts of pizza, pasta, and gelato, studied harder than I ever have, all while finding myself in so many ways.
I've learned so much from coming here. I've learned that sometimes first impressions are true and other times they are not, having a best friend in a foreign is a God send (literally), walking 4 miles in boots will probably lead to blisters, staying in a hostel sucks--always, as does sleeping in the airport, as many times as you outsmart the system, it will beat you at least once, seeing ancient ruins around ever corner will never get old, the Pope is the most precious man alive, America doesn't know what old is, rice balls sound weird but they are delicious, there is no such thing as too much gelato, trains are very efficient, but stations are crazy, the Italian immigration system is terrible, if you want water you have to pay for it or get it off the street, you can learn a language enough to get by in a country where you have never spoken the language before, getting lost in a foreign country is a good thing, there is beauty everywhere you turn, and faith can be discovered in the most obscure places. There are just some of the many things I've learned and I don't for a second think that the learning I've done will end when I leave this beautiful city.
I am so thankful that I have been able to have this experience. When we arrived Dr. Dawson played us this song from
Beauty and the Beast. I have learned that there is more than this provincial life. This has been a once in a life time experience. I hope that one day I will be able to come back to this place I have grown to love so much, but I will never casually walk past the Colosseum, have class at St. Peter's Basilica, see the relics of more Saints than I can count, or become a part of a culture I could have only dreamed about. As I prepare to leave Rome, I am so happy I came here. I have been given more than I could ever fit in my suitcase and I leave forever changed. Grazie Roma!
Fulfillment. There is no better word to describe this semester than that. As the semester came to a close, saying goodbye to all of the new friends I've made, and patiently awaiting the arrival of my Dad and sister, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my semester abroad. Coming abroad was never in my plan, but as it turns out it was in God's plan, so I am truly blessed. My decision to come to Rome was extremely last minute, and my last minute I mean that I started the application a week before it was due. Luckily, that last minute, going out on a limb was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The past four months have proven to have been the best of my life. In a short re-cap I've been living in the heart of Rome, 10 minutes from the Vatican, for four months, traveled outside of Italy to Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, London and Oxford, England, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Paris, France, and within Italy to Arezzo, Orvieto, Assisi, Siena, Pienza, Florence, Santa Marinella, Sorrento, Naples, Ariccia, Pisa, Bologna, Cinque Terre, Venice, Pompeii, and Capri, went to all seven Pilgrim churches in Rome, attended the canonization Mass for seven new saints, ate countless amounts of pizza, pasta, and gelato, studied harder than I ever have, all while finding myself in so many ways. 
I've learned so much from coming here. I've learned that sometimes first impressions are true and other times they are not, having a best friend in a foreign is a God send (literally), walking 4 miles in boots will probably lead to blisters, staying in a hostel sucks--always, as does sleeping in the airport, as many times as you outsmart the system, it will beat you at least once, seeing ancient ruins around ever corner will never get old, the Pope is the most precious man alive, America doesn't know what old is, rice balls sound weird but they are delicious, there is no such thing as too much gelato, trains are very efficient, but stations are crazy, the Italian immigration system is terrible, if you want water you have to pay for it or get it off the street, you can learn a language enough to get by in a country where you have never spoken the language before, getting lost in a foreign country is a good thing, there is beauty everywhere you turn, and faith can be discovered in the most obscure places. There are just some of the many things I've learned and I don't for a second think that the learning I've done will end when I leave this beautiful city. 
I am so thankful that I have been able to have this experience. When we arrived Dr. Dawson played us this song from Beauty and the Beast. I have learned that there is more than this provincial life. This has been a once in a life time experience. I hope that one day I will be able to come back to this place I have grown to love so much, but I will never casually walk past the Colosseum, have class at St. Peter's Basilica, see the relics of more Saints than I can count, or become a part of a culture I could have only dreamed about. As I prepare to leave Rome, I am so happy I came here. I have been given more than I could ever fit in my suitcase and I leave forever changed. Grazie Roma! 
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