Submitted by Mia Carbone on the 2019 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…
In deciding where I wanted to study abroad, I knew I wanted to go somewhere I felt connected to. I also knew that I wanted to go somewhere that made other places on my bucket list easily accessible. And, as much as it pained me to think about classes when all I could think about was traveling the world, I came to terms with the fact that I had to choose a program that offered course transfers that fit my majors and my interests. Italy makes visiting places such as France and Greece no longer a dream, but a reality. My entire life I’ve identified my heritage as Italian, so the connection was easy to find. Even better, I found interesting courses that fulfilled my academic requirements in a place that is in the midst of what will one day be written about in history books. I mean, who else can say they took a photography class in the eternal city, or a class on International Organizations in an EU country in the heat of the Brexit?
The other big factor in my decision was figuring out how long to go abroad. I have so many friends who took winter session abroad and had nothing, but amazing things to say about it. But, I didn’t know anyone who spent an entire semester abroad. Having lived in Delaware my entire life, the idea of not only leaving home for four months, but also leaving to live across the ocean terrified me. But, I wanted to be the person people knew who spent an entire semester abroad. I wanted to do something that scared me, that I hadn’t ever done before. Being here the entire semester has already allowed me to go places I never thought I would (Brussels, anyone?), and meet people I never would have, had I not chosen to do this program for this time. It has allowed me to learn at a university that is one of the most internationally diverse environments in which I’ve ever been present, and has already taught me more than I could imagine in and out of the classroom in just two weeks. Making the decision to not only study in Rome, but also study abroad for the entire semester is a decision I don’t ever think I’ll stop thanking myself for.