Leaving your family, friends, home, and routine can be uncomfortable, especially when walking into the unknown. When I stepped onto my flight to Rome, I was scared not knowing what my life would look like. I was worried I would struggle to live with so many people. The thought of sharing a room, a bathroom, the kitchen, and trying to plan trips, dinners, and coffee runs made me anxious. I’m so used to having the same schedule each week, my own room, and overall my own life that is separate from my friends.

All of my friends coming to this program told me how excited they were to study in Italy and take weekend trips all over Europe. They had talked about how excited they were to travel all over Italy, and travel to countries like France and Spain. All my friends who have previously studied abroad told me how amazing and life-changing studying and living abroad was, but I was still unsure of what lay ahead of me.

When I arrived, I was overwhelmed. I had asked all of my friends who had studied abroad in the past about their experiences, but even upon arrival, I could tell my experience would be entirely different from theirs. At first, I struggled to get acclimated. My nightly routine, from bedtime to shower time, hinged on the schedules of others, forming a routine of its own. I woke up at the same time as my friends, went to coffee together, and attended all of our classes together.
Whenever I wanted to take a trip somewhere, there was at least one friend eager to come with me, and occasionally numerous friends were enthusiastic about exploring the same destination. When you spend 24 hours a day every day for 3 months, you get to know one another really well, and you always have someone to talk to, do homework with, or grab a coffee with. You also get to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will bond you forever. They become more than just friends, they become almost like your best friends and siblings all in one.

I’ve always struggled not having a routine and a space to call my own, so despite all the amazing and wonderful things I had seen and read about the JSB study abroad program, I was hesitant. So, if you are also worried about not having a routine or a space to call your own, and you are reading this blog trying to decide if you want to do the JSB study abroad program, then this is your sign to do it. The experiences and friends you make within and outside of the program are a once-in-a-lifetime experience you will never regret.

It’s only 3 weeks in and I already feel like time is going too fast, and now looking back on my feelings that I had my first week, I am glad that my experience with the JSB study abroad program is a unique and different experience than my friends. I’ve gained more than just 13 roommates in my study abroad program, I’ve gained a family.

Maddie Ball

— The JSB Spring 2024 Family Goes to Pompeii