Submitted by Laura Sandu on the 2020 spring semester study abroad program in Rome, Italy…
My second week here was more eventful than last week. I started my classes and had to adjust to walking the distance between my apartment and the buildings. However, my classes and professors are great. I have already found myself in situations where I needed to use my Italian outside of class. In one situation, one of my roommates needed my help to call an electronic store to fix her laptop and the workers did not speak any English so I had to explain her situation to them in Italian. In another situation, we needed to cancel our Airbnb because we booked another one, and there was a complication with the refund. I needed to speak to customer service in Italian because of the language barrier. Both of these situations were successful because I was able to put my Italian to use in real life. This week, I learned to be more patient and understanding because of the language barriers.
This weekend, my friends and I traveled to Florence. It was interesting to see how much quieter and smaller Florence is in comparison to Rome. I enjoyed being in a more peaceful city for a few days, but a part of me started to miss Rome a little because it is already starting to feel like home. I’m excited to see what the next week will bring.