Upon arriving in Italy seven weeks ago, I was convinced that I would never think of this small town called Ariccia as my home. Everything was so new and unfamiliar that the thought of becoming comfortable enough in this place to call it my “home away from home” seemed unfathomable. However, I have realized that every time I come back to this place from a long day in Rome or a weekend out of the country, I am relieved to be back in Ariccia and back in the Chigi Palace.
I think being set in a small town has been helpful in making a place in Italy my home for the summer. I have been so immersed in the culture and atmosphere of Ariccia, that is has the same familiar feel that my home back in the States does. Because this town is so used to students living here, we have established relationships with many of the people here. As is appropriate in Italian culture, I have bonded with Ariccia mostly by means of food. One of the first things I learned here is that eating is a social event that is supposed to be shared with friends and family. Meals become an event rather than something that is done as a routine. In my time here, I have established my favorite places to eat, so I see familiar faces all the time.
I strongly believe that creating relationships with the people who live here and appreciating the warm welcome I get wherever I go has made my time here so much more valuable. Ariccia, however small it may be, is a place I am grateful to claim as my home and somewhere that is and always will be warmly received whenever I arrive.
Alex Phillips

The streets of Ariccia