My time abroad taught me many things about not only Italy, but myself. Going abroad was both scary and exciting in many ways. I had never flown overseas before, especially not by myself. I had never been to Europe, I didn’t know a single person in my class, I wasn’t sure if I would have fun, etc. But immediately upon arrival all of my fears disappeared and I knew I had made the right choice. The silly things that I thought would scare me like not knowing my way around, not being able to speak Italian, or even just being a picky eater, did not matter once I got there because I was surrounded by a group of people willing to help me along the way. Despite not knowing anybody in my class, I immediately made friends and was not once alone my entire time abroad, physically or mentally. The teachers were great at answering all of my questions and made being halfway across the world seem a lot less scary.

I learned so much about the culture, history, and of course the architecture. The architecture was insanely beautiful and something I will never forget. I was mesmerized by every place I went and everywhere was my new favorite. Truly some of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen in my life. I will never forget the places I saw, things I ate, and friends I made while abroad. I now am more confident in myself knowing that I can do hard things, like traveling to a place I’ve never been with nobody I know, because it just might turn out to be some of my favorite memories ever. Just like my time abroad did.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Architectural Design in Italy