Back in the USA

My time in Rome flew by! Just when I felt like I had become acquainted with the city, it was time for me to return home. On our final night, IES took our program out to a farewell dinner. After we dined on multiple courses of delicious food, my friends and I set out to visit our favorite monuments one last time. After strolling around the Colosseum and making a final wish in the Trevie Fountain, I reluctantly returned to my apartment to pack for my departing flight.

Though I was happy to be back at home with my family and friends, returning to America was quite the culture shock. Returning to my normal home routine was difficult at first. My jet lag lingered a couple of weeks, and I quickly observed the difference between interacting with Americans and Italians. There is the aesthetic differences as well–I cannot look out my window at home and see the Vatican, and my runs through my Alabama neighborhood have a much different scenery than those I took through the serene Villa Borghese.

Normalcy returned, despite my efforts to remain as European as possible. I do miss my diet of gelato and pasta. Now am I left with memories and experiences that will last throughout my lifetime. Being thrown into a foreign country, into a foreign culture and way of life, helped me to grown as a person. I learned a lot about myself and about others. I met some interesting and wonderful people who enhanced my experience tremendously. I saw some of the greatest architecture, museums, and churches in the world. I had the trip of a lifetime, and I will remember this experience forever.