Submitted by Isabelle on the 2019 spring semester study abroad program in Rome, Italy…
This weekend, I took a trip to Lisbon. I had very few expectations of Lisbon since I didn’t really do any prior research or look up any photos. I was so pleasantly surprised. It was so beautiful and the people were so nice. It ended up being one of my favorite places that I’ve been to. This made me realize the importance of going places you haven’t really heard of because they could end up really surprising you. The atmosphere was way more laid back than Rome or any other place we’ve been to, and it was very refreshing. I definitely want to go back to Lisbon at some point in the future. One of my biggest regrets as I approach the last month I’m here is not spending more weekends in Rome. I wanted to see as many places as possible, but I regret possibly not giving Rome the time it deserves. In April, I have booked trips for almost every weekend before finals and it makes me kind of sad. I know I’ll be back at some point, I just don’t know how soon that time will be. One of the things that I didn’t expect to be a problem when studying abroad is sickness. I have gotten pretty sick and the constant traveling seems to have prevented me from getting better. It is so discouraging to be sick when you’re trying to travel and have a good time. Italian doctors and health care are so different it seems very foreign and almost scary. To anyone studying abroad in the future, I would remind them to think about getting sick and suggest they bring all their favorite medications from back home.