Traveling has always been an integral part of my life and my family’s life. My parents have consistently emphasized the importance of being well-traveled and experiencing different cultures and atmospheres. My siblings have all participated in study abroad programs, and I always knew that was something I too would want to do. When I started college, I was out of state, so it was enjoyable to experience a whole new perspective and meet new people. This only heightened my desire to travel abroad. I began exploring various abroad opportunities and discovered the JSB program. I immediately signed up. For the past year, this was all I could talk about, and my friends and family shared in my excitement. Upon arrival, I anticipated differences and numerous learning curves, but I never expected to learn as much as I have from this study abroad experience.

In class, we learn extensively about the culture and history of the beautiful country we are living in for three months. However, I have also gained insights beyond my expectations. It is only week five, and I can only imagine how much more I will learn by the end of this semester. Since arriving, I have learned the importance of appreciating the smaller things and slowing down. Our culture in America is very fast paced, always seeking the next big and new thing. Here, it is quite different, and this has taught me to cherish the experience itself. One significant difference I have observed is in meals and the time spent at them. In America, meals are often quick, even with dinners where you cook or sit down to eat; it’s typically a maximum of one hour. Here, they believe food should be savored with the company you are with. The waiter isn’t rushing you out, and you could be there for hours if you don’t ask for the check. This took some getting used to, but once I adjusted, I realized how much we miss out on in America. These moments of slowing down, sitting, and truly savoring the moment and the people you are with have been highlights of the experience. While the fieldtrip experience and exploring the country have been incredibly fun and enriching, the smaller moments have been even more impactful.

I have gotten to know my fellow study abroad students better, realizing that even though we are all from the same country and attend the same school, we have much to learn from each other’s diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

A particular moment that stands out to me occurred on my way back from my community engagement meeting at the senior center. While we were at the senior center, we wanted to connect with them more and ask them some questions about what they do and what they enjoy doing to best plan events for them. On our way back from this meeting we encountered two locals who were incredibly kind and invited us into what we would call “man caves.” One had a wine cellar and gave us a tour of his place. We learned that he had just freshly packaged the wine himself and showed us some jam that his wife had freshly made. Additionally, we learned that he was born and raised in Ariccia. He generously gifted us some of these items. We also learned that the neighbor was a former jewelry designer, and he showed us the jewelry he had made. Now, he pursues various forms and mediums of art as a hobby, and it was fascinating to see his creations. This experience has taught me that those small experience of getting out and learning about people is something that is not done enough. It was also an extremely cool experience to learn more and experience more of the city we are living in on a more personal level.

While on this experience, I have learned so much about Italian culture and history. More importantly, this study abroad experience has taught me the value of living in the moment and truly getting to know people. I specifically can get caught up in rushing onto the next task or thing. Sometimes I tend to see how I can do this the fastest way possible and can overlook the experience itself. This is a special gift that can sometimes be overshadowed by the pursuit of bigger, more exciting moments.

Caio and War Eagle!

Mary Lu Hudgins

If you were to ask someone who has never studied abroad before to picture studying abroad, I imagine that they would probably picture a group that goes to a few classes together but prioritizes going to places outside their base city. This is what I expected going into this semester, but I have found that it is more fulfilling to me to focus on what I’m learning in Ariccia. When signing up to study abroad, I knew I was signing up to learn new things. However, I expected the majority of the knowledge that I gained to be about academic subjects—which this program is definitely not lacking, but I expected to mostly be learning about the subjects being taught. However, I feel that I have learned more about myself so far this summer and also about culture and living simplistically.

I think I have learned more about myself in the past eight weeks than I have in both years that I have been in college so far. Putting yourself in such an unfamiliar, uncomfortable situation forces growth. I think that growth in myself can be seen in how well I know who I am as a person. I have never had an issue making friends before, but meeting twenty-one new girls at the same time made me somewhat self-conscious about my personality. When everyone was meeting each other at the beginning of the summer, it was hard to feel like people were getting to know me. I felt like I was being overshadowed by people with stronger personalities than me. This forced me to spend a lot of time reflecting about who I am as a person and what makes me, me. I began to rediscover the things that I love about myself. As the semester continued, the girls in the program continued to get to know me more and got to know the things about me that make me who I am.

I never really understood the term ‘culture’ before this summer. Growing up in the south of the United States, we always hear about how we have a different culture than in the northern United States. When I have traveled abroad in the past, I have obviously noticed differences in how foreigners do certain things, but I never understood the reason behind why they do things differently. Italians do things a certain way, different from the United States, because of their overall culture and way of life. For example, we noticed very early on in the summer that you have to ask your waiter for the bill when you are eating at a restaurant, when in the United States the waiter will normally bring it to you when you are done eating. This small difference in how Italians simply eat a meal is the effect of the slower lifestyle practiced in Italy. The fact that this difference is related to an overall difference in lifestyle is something that I would have never realized if I were just on a vacation to Italy. I have realized that sometimes you really have to understand something larger, such as the culture of where you are, to pinpoint why a place is the way it is.

One of the biggest differences that I have noticed between the United States and Italy is in consumerism. In the United States, we are so used to getting exactly what we want within twenty-four hours at the maximum. We consume so many products and discard them when we are tired of them. This has been a huge change for me because you really do not even have the opportunity to consume as much stuff here in Italy. We have access to everything that we need here, but sometimes you have to sacrifice the luxuries that you may have had in the United States. As a result of those sacrifices, I have discovered that I may not need all of those luxuries that I had in the United States. It is very peaceful to live simplistically here with a smaller wardrobe, a smaller room, and just way less stuff in general. I have become very good at using what I have and making it work.

The changes that I have experienced in the two months that I have been here make me feel like the whole experience is worth it. While traveling Europe is great, the self-growth that I have experienced is incredible. I will also never travel the same way I have in the past. Instead I will research the places that I travel before and try to experience some of the culture there when I visit. I will carry everything that I have learned this summer with me throughout the rest of my life.

Josie Buckalew

As an interior design student who had always dreamed of visiting Italy, one of the aspects
of being abroad I was most looking forward to was the art and architecture. Going into it, I was expecting for it to amaze me, but was not prepared for how much it would truly inspire and impact me.

Simply living in the Chigi Palace, a building designed by Bernini, has left me inspired and given me a wonderfully unique experience that not many other design students can relate to. It blows my mind that everyday I get to walk around on the same tiles that Bernini did hundreds of years ago. Although I have seen lots of pictures of Italian design and have learned a lot about it through my classes, getting to experience it in person has been life-changing. Not only does the scale of these designs leave me speechless, but the fact that they have persevered through ages and centuries of time seems unbelievable to me.

Another characteristic of Italian design that has stood out to me is the attention to detail found within each structure. Whether it be a grand basilica like St. Peter’s or a tiny chapel, I have found that there is so much significance and meaning behind each little design decision within each space. It is amazing the stories that can be told simply by the people, animals, and shapes displayed in different ways through design. I have begun to notice how amazing of a storyteller the art of design is through tiny engraved details into columns and magnificent sculptures molded by hand. Moments of glory, strength, and power at other times design tell the story of hardship, defeat, and fear. With such a long and complicated history, places like Ariccia and Rome have so much to say through their art and design. Even today, when experiencing these works I feel like I have traveled back in time and am able to feel the same emotions that the people felt at the time the piece was created.

Although so much has changed since lots of the art and architecture I have experienced was created, it can also serve as a bridge between the past and present. While the circumstances today are very different than they were back in ancient Rome, human emotion and connection were very much alive similarly to how they are today. There were philosophers and deep thinkers questioning morality and working to understand human nature. Today, we can relate to the people back then who were beginning to discover and explore the idea of having feelings and emotions and learning how to deal with them. It is clear that even though centuries have passed, art, design, and architecture all have a great power to not only be a means of emotional expression, but also a way to understand people of the past, present, and (eventually) future.

All of the amazing works of art I have experienced thus far abroad have left me feeling so inspired. I am prepared to bring what I have learned back to the United States and find ways to apply them to my designs as I continue on in my interior design career.

Whitney Robeson

An image of the ceiling in the “Summer Room” in the Chigi Palace.