Submitted by Amy Jackson on the 2018 summer session program in Italy and Spain sponsored by the School of Public Policy and Administration…
When in Rome…. that was definitely the motto of the free weekend. However, that saying has an entirely different meaning after all of the events that occurred while we were travelling on our own. Nonetheless, I will be forever grateful for the close bond I made with Maddie over the course of the weekend. As a highly introverted person who usually prefers time alone, I have been trying to challenge myself more and more to work on making more meaningful friendships. Luckily, something between Maddie and I just clicked the more we conversed during our exploration of Rome. Although the two of us have very different personalities, we have many other things in common. Between our interest in public policy courses and the fact that we are both vegetarians, the two of us had a very special day together on Saturday.
The first stop of the day was to explore the Colosseum. To gain as much information as possible, we decided to pay for a guided tour. We were lucky enough to be in a small group of six people so it was very personal. Interestingly enough, our tour guide pointed out the cultural diversity of our group. Our tour guide was a Japanese native who came to Italy because of her love of food and the Italian way of life. The other members were Romanian, Lebanese and of course, Maddie and I represented the United States. During our walk to the Colosseum, I had a very interesting conversation with one of the Lebanese men in our group. When I told him that Maddie and I were studying abroad here for the week, he told me about his experience studying management at Syracuse in New York. Jokingly, he suggested I study abroad in Lebanon after things settle down politically.
After our very personal tour of the Colosseum, Maddie and I wandered the streets of Rome until we found what we considered a quintessential Italian eatery. There, we shared the most delectable pizza and lasagna…and a Coke, too! Finally, to wrap up our afternoon together, we stumbled upon a beautiful basilica that may have rivaled the sheer beauty of the Duomo in Siena. It was called the Basilica of San Clemente. As we walked in, the gold adornments on every wall and inch of the ceiling stood out. Unlike the Duomo in Siena, there were absolutely no cameras or phones allowed, preventing us from taking pictures. At first, I was slightly disappointed as I would have no way of showing my friends, family and fellow members on this program the beauty of this basilica. However, it allowed Maddie and I to fully immerse ourselves in the stunning details of the church. It was a very special moment for us since we both follow the Catholic faith. The iconography and the other various symbols evoked such strong feelings. It was also special because we were the only members of this study abroad program who got to see this basilica…when in Rome!