Wow, I still can’t believe I’ll be interning in Rome for two months. It is a dream come true.
I know through my last blog post I described how nervous, anxious and scared I was, but honestly, all of that went out the window the minute I got on my flight to Rome. I don’t know if it was the fact that it was really happening or if I was too overwhelmed to feel anything; regardless, I have successfully got over my fear and have been able to adapt to Rome.
Let’s talk about my first few days…
Well, my biggest struggle was definitely carrying those three suitcases that I talked about up four flights of stairs because my apartment didn’t have an elevator (I still don’t regret over packing). After I got settled in, I was fortunate enough to meet my Italian Student Companion named Chiara who was actually one of my roommates. There are seven of us. This will be my first time living with people that I don’t know since my freshman year of college, but I am excited to say the least. Chiara also cooked our first Italian meal for us, which consisted of a special rice dish that included tuna and zucchini along with wine, of course! I know it sounds “different,” but believe me it was great. She also made sure we felt at home by providing us with the wi-fi password (my favorite thing).
One of the first things I noticed was that there was no air conditioning and I am a bit of a drama queen so I immediately had to find a fan. However, this fan was not enough for what I would have to adjust to outside of the apartment. IT’S HOT, and humid too but there’s no place I’d rather be. Being able to leave my apartment and have so many amazing sights such as the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and more right in walking distance made up for the 80-90-degree weather.
The hardest thing I’ve had to adjust to so far would definitely be not knowing how to speak Italian. I didn’t realize how many people didn’t know English, but then again, I don’t really think I expected them to. I say this because I feel like it is very important to be able to adapt to and respect someone else’s culture and surroundings.
Lastly, I am most excited about starting my internship and learning more about the Italian work culture!
Kayla Turgeon
<p>Kayla is rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, or the University of National Champions, majoring in Psychology and Neuroscience with a minor in Public Relations. When she is not in class, she loves soul cycling and trying new foods. She is excited to document her adventures and hopes to share this blog on the internship experience of a lifetime.</p>
