My First Trip Abroad

Studying abroad in Italy was one of the best last-minute decisions I have ever made. Prior to Italy, I had never traveled outside of California, so the thought of leaving my hometown of Los Angeles for 4 months seemed kind of crazy. I didn’t even have a passport at the time that I had accepted the study abroad offer so I had to go through the process of applying for one. It was surprisingly simple and much less stressful than dealing with anything at the DMV, so I don’t know why I waited so long to get my passport.

After hesitating to accept the program offer, I had about two months to mentally prepare myself for what was about to come. When others talked about studying abroad in the spring, they talked about their excitement and expectations for their time abroad but let me tell you, I was an anxious mess. It was the first time I was leaving the country, I didn’t know anyone else in the program, and my family and friends were going to be thousands of miles away with a 9-hour time difference. I was also extremely nervous about not being able to make those “long-lasting friendships” everyone talks about. As a commuter and transfer student, I never really felt a connection with the USC community, which was one of my main concerns when I chose to go abroad. Luckily, I found those long-lasting friendships I was told about. There’s no better way to get to know someone than seeing how they deal with all the unexpected situations that come up while traveling across Italy and Europe.

It didn’t take too long to adjust to my new life in Rome. I enjoyed my morning walks (and tram rides) across the Tiber to get to class and the classes at ACCENT were great, especially the on-location classes. What I looked forward to the most each day were my daily cornetto and cappuccino. It’s the typical Italian breakfast, but for someone like me who usually wakes up late, it’s a great afternoon snack too! During my free time, I loved going to the neighborhoods next to Trastevere, like Monteverde and Testaccio. Monteverde had a bunch of little shops and an amazing park that made you feel like you were not in the middle of a bustling historic city. Testaccio was home to the Mercato Testaccio, where many of us enjoyed shopping for fresh produce, and home to an amazing Italian art teacher named Giorgio! I absolutely miss Giorgio’s cooking along with his encouraging words about my art. There’s no way my art could have ended up in a museum, but Giorgio’s words gave me hope.

If there’s one thing I discovered while being abroad (aside from my newfound love for Caccio e Pepe), it’s that I am much more resilient than I believed myself to be. For someone who traveled abroad to live in a completely different culture, I did not experience culture shock as heavily as one would have expected. I also learned to roll with the punches, since study abroad isn’t always a smooth ride, especially when it comes to traveling. I also can’t help but wonder what other self-discoveries I could have made if I had spent all four months abroad.

Overall, I had fun. I am so glad I took the leap and decided to live in Rome for a few months. The program may have been cut short due to the COVID-19 situation, but those two months abroad were the most fulfilling two months of my college experience. As for Italy, I will 100% return sometime in the near future, since there is still so much to see. If you have the opportunity to study abroad, take it!

Also, HUGE shout out to Katy and Georgia for working hard to make this opportunity possible!

AUTHOR: AILEEN HERNANDEZ