Submitted by Noah Burchard on the 2017 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…
The first week of the study abroad program has been unbelievable. On the plane to Italy, I sat next to a nice woman from Italy who was bilingual and told me all about Italy and her story of studying in the U.S. in college. She gave me many tips, like that a lot of museums are free on Monday . When I got to the airport terminal, I was so struck by the different architecture and different languages throughout the terminal. I have never been out of the United States. Looking out the window driving to the apartments in Trastevere was my favorite experience because it was the first time I really got to see in person some of the amazing parts of Rome. When I got to the apartment, I was struck by the breathtaking balcony in our apartment. On the first night, I went out to a restaurant and got my first pasta from Italy, and it was the best I’ve ever had by far. It was interesting how the waiter never came to our table to check on us, and we soon found out that we didn’t have to tip him which was also very interesting. I did learn ,however, that you are supposed to tip for coffee if it is around .90 euros. I’m excited to learn more customs and traditions of Rome as I become more familiar to the city. Overall, the experience has been amazing and I have already learned a lot.