Submitted by Kasey Rhead on the 2016 winter session program in Siena, Italy sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
I’ll be honest, study abroad is hard. They talk about the stages of culture shock and adjustment at orientation meetings before you leave, but I didn’t really think anything of it. I thought, “This is something I’ve been saving money for for years, and this is something I’ve been looking forward to for months. How could I ever want to go home?” Well, when I was exhausted and unable to sleep in the middle of the night and could not talk to any of my friends or family, I longed for the comforts of home. My own bed and the familiar sound of my dishwasher running downstairs were juxtaposed in my mind with a too-warm room and the bustling sounds of Rome. I wanted nothing more than to get back to that place I’d long known and loved.
And then, my roommate rolled over and saw the light of my cell phone. “You can’t sleep either?” and suddenly I realized that I was not alone. Twelve other people were with me in a place that they knew no better than I did. Then, I remembered how amazing the tour of Rome had been and how even though I didn’t sleep the night before, I felt more awake than I’d ever been when I saw the Trevi Fountain and how I couldn’t take my eyes off of the beautiful, domed ceiling of the Pantheon, and how well my group had gotten along already. And then I knew that even though I might struggle to adjust, my collection of experiences at the end of the month would make it all worth it. Three days later, I’m already in love with the country.
