To set the scene, the students have made it to the infamous end-of-the-semester farewell dinner. A day and a half before showtime, the students were hurrying around to prepare a beloved meal (Taco Tuesday) for all of those who have worked hard for the past 12 weeks to make this program a reality for the 9 girls. Beans were being slow-cooked to perfection, many onions were sliced and many tears were shed, and 3 flans were produced for this evening. I observed the organized chaos and couldn’t be more proud of my students.

            Tension was high. Stress was starting to escalate. The anxiety that is naturally produced when it comes to hosting a crowd set in. “Do we have enough wine? The Italians know how to drink wine.” “Whhhhhy did we get so many flour tortillas?!” “Are we going to have enough food for 35 people?” “WHERE’S THE CUMIN?” Every obstacle that presented itself, the girls jumped over it. Did we buy enough wine? No, but we pulled our personal stash to be served. Did we buy too many tortillas? Yes, but the next semester should be set for as many quesadillas as they want. We did in fact have enough food for everyone. And in the end, with only whole cumin seeds as an option, we had to roast the seeds and grind them by hand. The girls got that food out on that buffet table. They made sure that there was a drink in everyone’s hands. Everyone was satisfied. The guests were happy, the students were beaming. We could have ended the night there, but we didn’t.

            The reward for all this hard work the girls had accomplished came as an impromptu live musical performance. Francesco Petrucci dusted out the old acoustic guitar, strumming the strings to a gentle Italian lullaby. Maurizio Antonini eventually turned his humming into a full-out sing-along with his old friend. Then our favorite barista owner, Paulo Fa, jumped in to join his band of brothers. Seeing these male figureheads of this program singing to our students out of gratitude and appreciation was a joyous occasion. The girls were overwhelmed with love, love for each other, and love for this opportunity to call Ariccia home. Good People. Good Food. Good Music. What else do you need? I know this is a concert myself nor the students will ever forget. We get to say that we were there. That we were there for the one-night-only performance of the Ariccia Boyz.

War Eagle!

Ada Folmar (TA)

As I arrived at the Joseph S Bruno program that I read about for two years, it was a dream come true. Before even coming to Auburn, I admired this program and saw my future here and wanted to participate in it. I knew being exposed to nine random girls would be hard, but I wanted to adventure the discomfort to help me grow.

I always try to push myself to do the scary things in life to experience the unknown. Being comfortable is not good enough to accomplish growth. I have created so many friendships and memories here that I never even imagined, and I will never forget. From the highs and lows, my life here has been unforgettable.

Some highlighting moments I experienced was almost missing my train to the point I had to run down the platform. I also accomplished having blisters, getting rained on, and speaking to a foreigner without knowing what they are saying and more. I have had more fun here than I have since the beginning of college. I know for one thing is that the girls and I here are strong.

I have never felt so uplifted by others and it makes me glad to be around them even though we get on each other’s nerves some of the time. We support each other either way because we know we are family, just as in Auburn. Being in a different environment is hard when I am not around the familiar, but it has helped me grow.

It has blossomed me into someone I never even knew I was and to me that is courage. As I soak up every second here, I have seen pain, strength, and love through all of us. These three things bring joy to my heart. I have persevered in order to see the promise ahead and go through the hard times to get to the good things in the life I want.

So sometimes the hardest moments in life teach you lessons that you could never take for granted.

With love,

Katie Gaston

Sprinting down towards platform 20B of Roma Termini, held back by the contents of the weekend’s travel pack, and watching as the last train of the night departs the station is truly a humbling experience. But missing the train isn’t the end of the world and realizing this has helped me learn in ways beyond just making it home to Ariccia by curfew.

Living in Italy, surrounded by so many unfamiliar things, has been a lot of trial and error. I was only able to prepare myself so much, some things just have to be lived and learned. I couldn’t count how many times, especially at the beginning of the semester, a store clerk would tell me something at the counter and I just stared back blankly for a moment. But constantly struggling at the store prompted me to spend more time learning phrases in Italian that would help me better interact when shopping. But that’s just one of many slip-ups. There have also been times, like last weekend when I told myself that only packing my two most uncomfortable shoes for a weekend in Milan was a good idea. But, lo and behold, I was buying a new pair of sneakers Saturday afternoon. Just like missing the last train to Albano prompted me to be more aware of timing and planning during train transfers, I am learning so many other mini-lessons along the way.

I was bound to experience slip-ups traveling internationally. But a few bad experiences catching a train should never stop anyone from trying again. It’s all about learning from my mistakes. A new adventure is just a stop away, just make sure to get off at the right one.

Kaitlyn Reedy

As I wrap up my seventh week abroad, I have realized just how different my worries and stresses are in Italy versus in America. In America, I have to deal with the idea of starting my life when I get back as I am graduating in December. However, in Italy my stresses bounce between different things. Between measuring my carry-on suitcase (the baggage sizes are different on Ryanair than they are on Delta), and learning how to use a Moka pot instead of a coffee pot, living abroad has its own unique sets of challenges. 

Learning to pack up the worries and stresses that I cannot do anything about while abroad has been something challenging for me. As a senior graduating, the idea of going home and facing the reality of starting new again is scary. When I get back, I need to find a job, a new city to live in, and an apartment. But I always have to remind myself that those are stresses for when I get back. Those are stresses I put in my checked bag, things that I need to stow away until I get home. Being able to carefully tuck these things away in my checked bag and take a breath and a step away has allowed me to fully enjoy my time in Italy.

My carry-on bag is the bag I take with me everywhere. It is full of thoughts of my friends and family, my cat at home, and all the little things that I miss from home but that bring me joy when I think about them. My carry-on bag is also where I am putting all the happy, beautiful memories I am making on this trip. This bag also contains my stresses of being in Italy. From making the last train of the night, to figuring out the English translations of the foods I need in the grocery store. Italy has unique challenges, ones that I hold in my carry on as I am here. 

Learning the difference between what I need to pack in my carry on and what I need to stow away in my checked back has been one of the most important things I have learned while I have been experiencing Italy. Although I will have to face reality when I get home, being able to let go and live in the moment of being in Italy is something I will treasure forever. 

With love, 

Cate Jerozal

A few weeks ago, I bought a pair of Doc Marten mary janes. I had been debating the purchase for a while, but eventually my pinterest board was so abundantly covered in pictures of girls wearing them that the purchase felt inevitable. I left the store, the bag swinging from my hand, feeling giddy with the impending joy these shoes would bring. 

Everyone warned me that for the first couple of wears, my feet would be aching, uncomfortable, and possibly covered in blisters. I shrugged off all their advice to wear thick socks and blister band aids and instead marched boldly to the supermarket. My feet hurt more and more with every step I took. 

My journey with my Doc Martens is comparable to my experience in Italy. I was so excited for the joy Italy would bring into my life that I ignored any possible pain I could feel and instead marched boldly onwards. However, just like my shoes, Italy came with some pain. Learning the language has been challenging, balancing travel and school was difficult, and my friends living at home without me seemed cruel. Albeit, just like how any good pair of shoes takes a bit to break in, my life in Italy has taken some breaking in too. 

Eventually, just like how the heels of my shoes molded to my feet, my life here began to take shape as well. I began to form friendships with the girls here, and the pain I once felt walking to the supermarket faded until eventually I was wearing my shoes, living my life in Italy, forgetting that I ever felt pain taking those first steps. 

This experience has taught me that change of any kind may cause discomfort, but like any sturdy shoes made to last a lifetime, the pain of change is worth the possibility of experiencing joy of any kind. These past weeks have taught me that change may hurt at first, but it just takes a little breaking into; and if you ever decide to move to a new country, it might be uncomfortable, so pack some blister band aids. 

Wishing you nothing but blue skies,

Brynn Hennessey

As I reached the halfway point of my time here in Italy, I feel like I have lived an entire life in the past six weeks. Being in this environment has thrown such a rollercoaster of emotions my way that I was forced to take a step back and evaluate my life. I feel I have learned some invaluable lessons about myself and I wish I could share this journey with everyone. Through the lowest lows and the highest highs, I have grown so much through this journey, and I am elated to carry these lessons I have learned with me moving forward. 

I have never considered myself to be a homebody, so leading up to this trip I was nothing but excited. I crave adventure and excitement and I knew living in a foreign country with nine strangers would provide the perfect outlet. For the first couple of weeks, this trip appeared to be exactly that; a big, fun adventure away from the status quo. What I wasn’t expecting was the hard times that inevitably reared their ugly head. When forced to deal with sickness, sadness, or even exhaustion, the big adventure wasn’t so fun anymore. I have since come to appreciate the difficult points in this journey because they resulted in more personal growth than I would have thought possible. I have really been given the opportunity to take a step back and evaluate the true values I hold in life. 

The amazing people I have grown to love in my time here have also been an incredibly crucial pillar to my experience. In my lowest state I found support in people who had only known me for a couple of weeks, and I could not have gotten through what I was able to without them. It’s not only okay to rely on the people around you, but I highly encourage sharing your burdens with others. You would be surprised how the most beautiful relationships blossom from the ugliest storms. 

When I have found myself looking backwards or forwards to when things were or are going to be more familiar, I remind myself that it is imperative to this experience that I live in the moment. Life is a constant series of ever-changing phases, and there is no productivity in dwelling on past or uncertain timelines. Your happiness lies in your present experiences, and even though everything has not been rainbows and butterflies, this moment in time is having an undeniably positive impact on my life. 

The biggest lesson I have taken from my time here so far is that I am proud of the person I was, I have so much love for the person I have become, and I am excited for the journey ahead of me. The growth I have personally felt throughout this journey has been so incredibly meaningful to me, and I know I have become a better person because of it. I am now able to appreciate the hardships, uncomfortability, and mistakes of life as they have all contributed to where I am today. I am loving this life, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.

Thanks for listening,

Olivia Lutz

When I first walked down the corso of Ariccia, I noticed the old-style streets that pave the way for cars and passersby alike. Looking at swaths of cobblestone everyday has inspired me to view life in a new way. And no, I don’t mean it in the sense that wearing stiletto heels around Italy probably isn’t the best idea. Rather, what I mean is that as I walk on the cobblestone streets of Italy, I realize that each moment of my life is like a cobblestone, making up the highway of my life (insert Rascal Flatts song here). 

I find this to be a fitting comparison, as the many cobblestoned streets in this country have witnessed so many people, all on their own paths, paying little mind to the stones supporting their feet as they make their journey. The moments of my life are similar. They make up who I am and all play a role in how my life will continue, affecting the decisions I make and the relationships that I build. As I break down this comparison even more, I find myself recalling certain moments that have been instrumental in forming my cobblestone path, and I know that many more stones will be added during my semester in Italy. 

So far, collecting stones for my path has been easy here in Italy. Each experience is so new and fascinating, and they shape the way that I view the world around me. A moment doesn’t have to seem big and important for it to become a stone. A particular moment that stands out to me is from my first weekend trip during the program. I traveled with a group of classmates to Florence, and as I sat down on the train, I realized that I was traveling abroad for the first time as an adult, without my family to help along the way. This wave of independence crashed into me and I became so excited to continue this journey of personal growth as I branch out on my own. That feeling in my heart formed a stone to be added to my cobbled street.

During the remainder of my time in Italy, I look forward to having new experiences and turning a moment of my life into something that will stay with me forever. And when I am long gone from Ariccia, I will revisit these moments, just like how I walk down cobble-stoned streets in the town that I now call home. 

Ciao,

Grace Reilein

First there was the stray tom cat who made his home in the park we’d walk through to get to the train for a day in Rome. Then there was the sweet friendly cross-eyed cat–barely a stray—who would roll over on the sidewalk outside the pet shop in Albano to show us his belly and purred as we pet him. Then there was the legion of strays lazing about in the ancient ruins of the Roman empire, showing us that the real rulers of the world have 9 lives. Then there was the kitten who captured our hearts in Sicily as she mewed from a tree branch on the beautiful little farm we stayed at.

These are only a few of the encounters I have had with the stray cats on the streets of Italy. I have crouched on the ground, clicked my tongue, offered out my open hand, and generally made myself look like a fool for any feline friend I have caught a glimpse of. Some are friendly; they approach me and enjoy the attention. Some just stare from a careful distance away and make it known that they don’t want to be approached. I try to respect the wishes of the cats of Italy.

Italy is a country that is as diverse and varied as its stray cats. The rich cultural history means that cities only a train ride apart can feel like completely different countries with distinct personalities. Florence was artsy and fashionable, Rome was ageless and powerful, Palermo was rustic and lively. I have experienced the cobbled streets of these cities with wide open eyes and a desire to soak it all in. I try to respect the streets of each city like I respect the stray cats that roam them.

Sometimes my experiences have been closer to what it’s like when I meet a shy street cat. Maybe the language barrier or my nervousness or the newness of the culture makes the experience awkward. But sometimes I am rewarded for making my brave step forward into Italian life. Maybe it’s the local market stand owner greeting me with a smile, or when my practiced Italian pronunciation is easily understood by the waiter. That feeling of satisfaction is just as rewarding as a hesitant stray finally letting me pet it.

Ciao,

Maggie Tennant

Touching down at the Fiumicino airport two weeks ago was my first time outside of the United States. The trans-Atlantic flight was like a baptism. I got on the plane with anxiety and a little fear but landed with giddy anticipation. I embarked on the 20-minute taxi ride to Ariccia awestruck, experiencing everything for the first time and taking in everything I could.

The best comparison I can make to my experience over the past couple of weeks is that it is like being a child. The pure newness of everything from the history to the landscape to the culture put me in a state of perpetual wonder and at times disbelief. I have tried to prolong and preserve that feeling, but like how a child cannot stay small forever, I have found myself adjusting and acclimating to my life here as time goes on. 

This ongoing process of maturing, however, is proving to be even more transformative than that first wave of the initial shock. Settling into a routine, forming strong relationships, and being able to call a place home are things that only come with time and experience; and are the things I truly value. It’s only been two weeks since I arrived in Italy and I feel like I have seen and learned enough to last me a lifetime. In such a short time, I have made beautiful memories and what I know will be long-term friendships.

The intense anxiety I once felt about traveling overseas and living with 9 other people seems like a distant memory, and my current reality is filled with more amazement and gratitude than I could have imagined possible. I still feel like a kid here in many ways, but I find myself growing and learning every day, maturing and coming of age with each new experience.

With my whole heart,

Sarah Willis

The days leading up to my departure for Italy, I was incredibly excited but also overwhelmingly anxious about leaving my home and my friends. Everyone around me would say that I was going to have the best time and that it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will impact me forever and they were right. The thing that no one tells you, however, is that you will have bad days and you will miss your home and your people so much that it physically hurts.

This study abroad program is an incredible experience, and I would never trade it for anything but everyone telling me how phenomenal it would be and that everything will be perfect made me feel like I could not express when I was having a hard time. You are allowed to have bad days, feel homesick, and want to go back to what you know sometimes; it is completely normal and just because you are studying abroad in a beautiful country does not diminish what you have left behind.

I, personally, have struggled deeply leaving my family and friends. I was holding back tears in a club one night in Florence because I was suddenly so overwhelmed by everything and everyone around me and that none of it was familiar. This is okay and something that everyone should be prepared for. The days that are not phenomenal, perfect, or fun are going to come and whatever feeling you may have in those moments are completely valid. It is a unique experience and not everyone will understand but we are allowed to miss things from home and our feelings of loneliness in a foreign place are valid. Take in every moment and adore those times that everything is perfect, fun, and phenomenal because there are so many of them but never feel like you cannot struggle because we all do.

With thanks,

Chloe Tomberlin