Submitted by Irene Piro on the 2024 Spring semester program in Rome, Italy…
With the start of classes comes a new routine for the remainder of my time in Rome. Still, a surreal feeling floats over me whenever I think about where I’ll be for the semester. This week, the streets of Rome became my commute to school. It’s refreshing to be able to stop for good coffee and food to, from, and between classes (when the city becomes your campus, am I right?).
In my classes, it was exciting to hear where students were from. Especially in my psychology classes, it will be interesting to hear different perspectives from locals and students with other unique backgrounds.
After my first week of school, I was looking forward to my day trip to Pompeii with my roommates and new friends. While we had to ride on both buses and trains to get there, it is still nice to see how convenient it is to visit such intriguing places.
I didn’t realize how large the city of Pompeii was until we got there and saw the map. Seeing the ruins of the living quarters and bathhouses was quite compelling. Specifically, reading about what the well-preserved structures were used for–laundry and sinks–really put the city of Pompeii into perspective. Seeing how advanced the city was so long ago was quite captivating. What shocked me the most was how the paintings, tiling, and other artistic elements such as engravings were also so well preserved.
With so many historically rich opportunities at my fingertips here in Rome, I am excited to see where the next few months take me. (Submitted January 22, 2024)