Walking down the narrow cobblestone streets lined with colorful, string-lit buildings strung, the clattering of dishes and indistinct Italian ringing in your ears, there’s no place you would rather be. Taking a bite of perfectly al dente pasta or licking the creamiest stracciatella gelato, there’s nothing else you’d rather eat for four months straight. And coming back to your quirky little apartment with five new roommates, there’s no one you would rather spend it with. 

Studying abroad showed me that eye-opening discussions, shared laughs, and mutual understanding rival the beauty of landscapes and architecture. Vacation gives you a glimpse, the highlights of the location, but creating meaningful relationships with locals and observing business practices in everyday life shows you a new way to live. Singing and dancing with strangers turned friends despite the language barrier is an experience that ignites a feeling of human commonality unlike any from sight-seeing. 

Being abroad for several months, I realized it’s less about the specific location and more about the people. Wherever you are, there will be rainy days. There will be things you miss from home and times the differences are frustrating. But the people you meet, whether a long-lasting friendship or simply a friendly grocery cashier, make everything a little bit easier and remind you that despite cultural disparities, we’re all in this together. 

If my photos don’t capture the whole picture and my ill-fitted, poorly documented words are not sufficient in resurrecting all the precise imaginary, I hope I remember the feeling. If I forget the curve of the Trevi Fountain or the magnitude of the Colosseum, I hope the street music swells in my ears and the unspoken bond between listening strangers brings a smile to my face. If I forget Villa Borghese, I hope I don’t forget the laughter that brought tears of joy to my eyes. If I forget the night, I hope I remember the dance moves that convey no grace or rhythm, but freedom and joy. If eventually the Roman sights become blurry in my memory, I pray my heart remembers the finer moments and feelings of euphoria. 

Eleanor (Ellie) Wedge
American University of Rome in Italy
Spring 2019