Each week when we take time to reflect on what has happened during the week, part of our reflection is to pinpoint the best thing that happened, and another part of the reflection is to pick out the worst thing that happened. We call those peaks and pits. Even in just the first two weeks, peaks and pits have had a way of pointing out how special this time in Ariccia is. When I have a hard time choosing a peak because so many amazing things have happened to me in the past seven days, it reminds me to savor each incredible moment, and it forces me to realize how extraordinary the events of each day are when they are spent in Italy.   

Even the pits, or the worst things, have a way of being great things if I just look at them from a different perspective. My pit from my first week was my flight to Rome, but that flight got me safely to Ariccia, so it was definitely a good thing. My pit from week two was getting stuck in the Dubrovnik airport for an extra four hours, but I got to spend four extra hours hanging out with my friends in Croatia, and that is pretty neat. Sometimes the pits are also the events that become the best memories, because in hindsight those ‘worst things’ can be hilarious.
The peaks in Italy have been higher than usual, and the pits have been more interesting than usual. Taking time to think about both ends of the spectrum – the good and the bad – has helped me take note of the most meaningful parts of my study abroad experience. Peaks and pits may just be small moments of reflection in the grand scheme of my time spent abroad, but they are a great reminder that each minute can be spent embracing new experiences and making the most of the time that I have in Ariccia.
Lily Weeks

My peak from Week One – drinking a cappuccino at Antico Caffe Greco, the oldest coffee shop in Rome