Submitted by James Bridda on the 2017 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…
This is my first time leaving the Eastern Standard Time Zone so I knew there was going to be a lot of things I needed to get used to. Whether it be the change in time zones, different currency, a new language or anything of that sort, it always takes some getting used to. At home, I could picture myself saying “no” to trying all new types of food, cheese or anything different. But now that I’m abroad in a completely different country, I’ve been trying all new things and actually enjoying them. The second day here, we went to a Van Gogh Alive Museum, something that I wouldn’t imagine myself doing back in the United States, but I really enjoyed it. We got to read all about Van Gogh’s life and found out different things about him, like how he checked himself into an asylum after he cut his own ear off. Some of the paintings that he made really are unbelievable and I maybe wouldn’t have known this if I didn’t go to Rome. When they say, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” I really think it’s true, whether it be Rome or anywhere else you are traveling. You really learn to adjust to the new lifestyle and realize it’s not that bad as you first think. I have only been here for a week and I am already getting used to a lot of the things that bothered me when I first got here, like taking extremely short showers. It is definitely a different world out here, but I think if I keep doing as the Romans do it’s going to be the best four months of my life, because they are definitely doing it right out here!
