Living in Italy for the next three months is a dream come true. We have only been here one short week, but have learned and seen more than I ever imagined. So far, I have adjusted to the atmosphere and culture better than I thought I would, thanks to the new friendships I have made. We saw several famous sights in Rome that I always see in movies or hear people telling me about, but seeing them with my own eyes changes my perspective on everything. My favorite sight we went to in Rome was the Trevi Fountain. It was such a beautiful scene. While we were there, a couple got engaged! The days are long, but the lecturers make the classes so entertaining that it seems to go by fast. We had our first field trip of the Castelli Romani (the Roman Castles). It was interesting to see the places we learned about in the prep class. The locals in Ariccia have been great. They are very helpful and try their best to make this town feel like home. It’s so incredible to see how different life is in Italy versus life in the United States. Although we have only been here a week I have already managed to miss the train from Rome back to Ariccia.

I am really looking forward to the weekend trips and traveling to places all over Europe as well as other places in Italy. I can already tell I am going to get along great with everyone on this trip and can’t wait to make so many memories. In this short amount of time it is easy to see that it will be a life changing experience.
Taylor Anne Jones