As I sit here and think about what has led up to me coming here, I remember as a young 18-year-old listening to the College of Human Sciences abroad talk and thinking that this is the study abroad of a lifetime. Later that day I signed up for the Summer 2020 JSB Program. Little did I know back in 2018 that I would go to school in the middle of a pandemic and have my trip canceled. With a year wondering if my dream of coming to Italy will ever happen, I finally got on the plane and became a part of the Spring 2022 JSB Program. The day I had been waiting for for so long had finally come. Stepping off the plane and into Italy was the most exciting yet terrifying thing I have ever done. Then getting off the bus and experiencing the palace for the first time is something I will always remember. I know that I can never get this experience any other time in my life and am so excited to have these memories and be able to share them forever with all my friends and family. I am so grateful that I have been able to experience this country and see all the amazing things Italy has to offer. The places I have gotten to experience already is something that most people don’t get to experience this young. I cannot wait for the next 8 weeks and the countless memories that I get to make here and remember forever.

Lauren Dann