All Roads Lead to Rome... Re-Entry Reflection

Hello and welcome to my final blog post. Thank you for following along, I hope that happy holidays were had by all. I’m writing this post-program reflection from my new dorm room at Fordham Lincoln Center, my home institution. Life after my IES Abroad program has been a whirlwind; I tacked an extra week onto my stay in Rome to take a trip to Napoli (which was incredible and really captured how all of Italy’s cities have such different vibes). Then, once I returned home to PA, we took a trip to visit family in the Midwest. Then, I spent a few nights reuniting friends and traveling the East Coast via the New Jersey Transit, SEPTA, Long Island Railroad, it almost felt like I was back in Europe! Just kidding. Everyone appreciates some good ol’ public transportation, but the European trains are elite.

Now, I’m finally back in New York City. The feeling is a strange one. The city has been chugging away without me all this time and I’ve been seeing little differences that prove the passage of time… yet I somehow feel that no time has gone by at all. Could my time in Rome have all been a wonderful dream? Too good to be true? I fight these thoughts with memories, real memories that I will carry with me forever. The effects of this semester have changed me without a doubt. It has changed the course of my life, as I know that I will make big decisions with confidence. I have experienced first-hand the value of living abroad, acclimating to a new culture, and developing a more global mindset. I have a different understanding of the world, a new interest in languages and cultures. I see myself prioritizing travel in my future and maybe even moving back to Rome.

I’m slightly terrified at how the effects of my semester abroad are interfering with my previous ideas for the future. New York City, a career-driven life. However, this new idea of my future that is coming into view, one where I spend another few years in Rome as a youngster, traveling and gaining life experience that will enhance every aspect of who I am, seems more uncertain but more fulfilling than what I had expected. 

Now, I haven’t decided to move back to Rome, but I left my headphones in Pennsylvania and I’ve been thinking too much. I feel like I’m breaking out of the mold of the standard, American, capitalist idea of success. The career goals that I’ve always dreamed of, ones that require living in New York, seem like status symbols that aren’t actually related to personal fulfillment. With graduation on the horizon, I’m staring down NYC rent prices and wondering if a total lack of financial comfort for a tiny apartment in a crowded and dangerous city is what I need right now. In a way, it’s what I want; I love living in New York and the opportunities here are undeniably appealing. Nevertheless, it’s a challenge. Maybe I’d rather take back up the challenge of Rome with the knowledge that I will learn so much and become a better global citizen. 

In either case, I will pursue a career in film and video production. Inspiration is everywhere, but I felt especially inspired in Rome surrounded by an unfathomable history of art and humanity. Thanks for watching my videos (available on the IES Abroad Youtube channel) and I look forward to doing even more with the footage I got in Rome (perhaps in comparison to some NYC footage? Stay tuned, you can follow my Instagram, @ellie.barrickman).

For now, I’ll be focusing on my final semester of college, keeping up with my Italian practice, and agonizing over the future. Wish me luck!

All the best,

Ellie