Submitted by Jacob Jebran on the 2017 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science and the Department of English…
We’re now in Rome for the last stretch of our program. Our hotel is only a short walk from the Coliseum and the Forum. Exploring Rome teaches me how young of a country the United States is. There are crumbling ruins from centuries ago all around the city and it is all incredibly impressive. The Coliseum is, of course, the first image that comes into my head when I think of Rome, but the Forum was just as important as a social, commercial, political and economic center of Rome in the olden days. The city is big and is filled with history scattered among its more modern architecture. In that way, this travel experience has been different than other “vacations” I have taken in the past. The most enriching time I’ve spent here has been on tours learning about Italy’s ancient history and culture.