Submitted by Madison Troise on the 2024 Winter HLTH program in Rome…
Last week was my final week in Rome, and during that time I felt a whirlwind of emotions. I was so eager to get home because I missed my family and my normal routine. I missed a lot of things that many Italians don’t use such as drying machines, ice in their drinks, and free water. Hanging my laundry to dry drove me insane, and drinking room temperature water always irked me. Also I started getting sick of the food. Don’t get me wrong, all the pasta and pizza dishes in Rome were amazing, but they started to get repetitive. I was craving my normal dinners from home, which usually consist of chicken, a vegetable, and a starch. And what I missed the most was my American breakfast. In Italy, people just eat a pastry for breakfast. A pastry did not fill me up at all, and I got really sick of it quite quickly. All I wanted was eggs or some sort of protein. Although there were many reasons I wanted to go home, the one reason why I was upset to stay reigned supreme. I realized when will I ever get to go to Europe again for three weeks with 14 kids my age? Probably never. The next time I’ll be able to go to Europe will probably be years from now. This made me super upset. I really grew to love the city of Rome, and I began to feel like I belonged there. I finally was able to navigate my way around the city, and I learned about a lot of Italian culture. I wish I was able to just go home for a little and then return back to Italy, but it is not that easy. Traveling back home required a long 9 hour flight. I now have a huge appreciation for this beautiful city and I hope I can return as soon as possible. I’m so grateful that I was able to call this city my home for three weeks. (Submitted on January 30, 2024)
