If you would have told me four years ago that I would be studying abroad in Italy for 12 weeks, I would have laughed at you. If you would have told me that I would feel at home in a little town called Ariccia, I would have told you that you were crazy. However, we are eight weeks in and, I have never felt more at home in Ariccia.

My favorite thing about traveling on the weekends is the feeling of returning to my “nest” in The Palace. This little town has become such a place of comfort, and a place that will have a special spot in my heart forever.

I cannot lie and say that everything about this experience has been easy, but the things we have encountered as a group and individually have allowed each and every one of us to grow.

Prior to coming on the JSB program, I hated to travel. I hated plane, bus, and train rides. So you may think, “Why would you even go on a program like this?”

Well, this program has pushed me to step out of my comfort zone more than I could have ever imagined, and I could not be more grateful for that. I never thought I would be the person to travel every weekend and constantly be on-the-go but that is exactly what I have done. This program has taught me how to be independent, but also how to lean on people that I did not know before coming on the program. I have made friendships here that will last a lifetime, and I cannot wait to bring these friendships back to Auburn. I am so grateful to be a part of this experience as the program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

War Eagle, Riley Stofka

As spring break is wrapping up, I am currently sitting on my parents’ AirBnB terrace, munching on some fresh bruschetta, taking in the magnificent view of Ariccia below, and writing this reflection on my past 7 weeks here. I feel so wonderfully content in this moment. I’m thinking about how I want to remember this moment, and the endless moments I’ve had so far that make me stop and think, “I want to wrap this up, put it in my pocket, and keep it forever.” 

That first day, when we walked on the bridge to Albano and saw the view and the Ariccia sunset for the first time. When I enjoyed a cone of Giolitti Gelato (the best gelatto in the entire universe) with my best friend from home who studies in Rome. A week ago, on the first day my parents arrived in Ariccia for spring break, walking to the Chigi palace museum for class, and spotting my dad outside of a Cafe that I frequent across the street, then watching him run across said street like a maniac to hug me. Standing in front of every famous monument we’ve visited for class and thinking, “I am actually here! Doing this! Right now!”. This country is so rich with beauty, culture, and passion, that the moments here just hit different than back at home.

This study abroad program is unique because we’re not just taking random classes in Italy, our classes are about Italy; the history, the language, the cuisine, and that helps us immerse ourselves in, and appreciate the culture so much more.
I love it here. So much. Bring on the moments to come!

Xoxo, Avery 🙂

I am half-way through my twelve-week adventure, and I never knew a place once so foreign to me only six weeks ago could start to feel like home. The other girls were only just strangers, but are now some of my closest friends. We began our very first week planning the many adventures that lie ahead of us.

I knew once I unpacked my bags from my 8-hour long flight from Tampa they would not be unpacked for long. As soon as I landed, I wanted to go everywhere and anywhere. The north, east, south, and west of every country of Europe. I planned weekend adventures to Munich, Paris, Barcelona, Prague, Warsaw, Dublin, and Florence.

It is crazy to look back on these past 8 weeks and really see how each place is special in it’s own little way. Being able to spend the weeks in Ariccia and then ending them in a different country has allowed me to pick out the differences between each place.

During my spring break I traveled to Prague, one of my favorite places I have visited. The history and growth that lies within the city is astounding. A city that was once so secluded and polarized from my culture shows that a place can come out of anything and become one of the most traveled cities in the world. Each place has been so special and so diverse. My travel bug is in full swing, and I would love to go back to these countries and explore even more beyond the big cities.

I am ready to take on these next five weeks and see what they have to offer.

XOXO, Brooks Anne

This week is Week 7, already past the halfway mark and nearing the end of this amazing journey. I cannot believe how quickly these weeks have gone by.

It seems like just yesterday I was so nervous, not knowing what I was getting into, leaving my family and hopping on an eight-hour flight to a country I have never been to before. It seems really crazy when I think about it like that. I had so many feelings coming onto this program: excitement, anxiousness, fear of being in a foreign country. But, as I started getting into the swing of things, I could not believe how the palace started to become my home away from home.

After unforgettable trips to Vienna, Milan, Munich, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, and different cities in Italy, I noticed I would get excited to come back to my little bed in my nest. This was especially a comfort to me as I was nervous about being away from home for so long.

As I continue my journey in Italy, I hope to fully take advantage of the rest of my time here and not take anything for granted.

I had one of my best friends come to visit me over the break, and we got to travel to 3 different countries. When she first arrived in Italy, she told me was how excited she was to try the food. I remember thinking to myself, “I cannot wait to have a break from all of this pizza and pasta.” In a few weeks when I am back at home or in Auburn, I am going to be dying to have the meals I have had here! These are moments when I realize how grateful I am to be in a place where I am able to experience (and eat) so much.

The best part about it is, I have the best group to share these moments with! I cannot wait to look back and remember these months as the most memorable and one of the best growing experiences I have ever had in my life!

Emma Williams

This past week was spring break, which also means I am now halfway through the semester! It has been an incredible experience in every way, and I am sad to see the time passing by so fast. I cannot believe six weeks have already gone by.

I have learned to soak up every moment because in the blink of an eye. I know I will be heading home soon, reminiscing about the best three months of my life. I have taken nothing for granted as we travel throughout Italy on field-trips, seeing sights I never imaged I would ever see in person growing up like the Colosseum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Trevi Fountain, and more.

On my own I have also traveled every weekend to new places including London, Milan, Sicily, Malta, and Paris, and cannot wait to continue seeing the world in the upcoming weeks, as well. Better yet, I am able to take on these new experiences and places with new friends that I feel like I have known for years. I have learned so much about many new cultures through my travels here, and I feel this is a great takeaway and something I will always be conscious of in the future.

So far, some of my favorite places in Italy are the small towns I most likely never would have visited or known about without the Joseph S. Bruno Program. I have fallen in love with the town we live in called Ariccia, as well as the surrounding towns, Albano and Nemi. These towns meet every expectation of the ‘Italian lifestyle’ I have envisioned before I came. Everything is so authentic here from the lifestyle to the food, and that is what makes me love it here so much.

Albano has the train station, a lot of shopping, and many restaurants we visit for aperitivo (an early appetizer-style meal before dinner). My favorite place of all though is another nearby town, Nemi. Though it is very small and quaint, it is known for its tiny strawberries, and a view of Lake Nemi that is breathtaking. I love overlooking the lake while enjoying a delicious strawberry pastry and cappuccino. It is in the small moments sometimes that I feel like I am living a dream.

Ciao bella (goodbye, beautiful),

Bethany Hadley

It’s the first day of week five and while today may be slow, the time here has flown by and it seems like there’s no stopping it. It’s crazy that spring break is so close to us and yet I feel like I haven’t been here for that long. Before I came to Italy, I decided to read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and if I got anything from reading it before my big adventure, it was the word attraversiamo. Although I have realized that it hasn’t been a typical word here in Italy, in the book it is explained to mean “let’s cross over”. It has been one that I feel can embody my time here, not just in Italy, but in all the places and cultures I’ve gotten to experience so far and still have yet to experience.

While we do get to travel so much, my wanderlust has not stopped. So far I have traveled outside of Ariccia every weekend to new cities and new countries, to see new places and faces, yet I still want to see more. I have gotten to experience Vienna, Munich and Milan with Barcelona coming up this weekend. Just the idea of having a new experience in a new place has been something I look forward to each week. I didn’t expect our weeks and weekends to vary as much as they have on a day to day basis. In our weeks there has always been something new, whether it’s been who we’ve met, like our Italian families, or where we’ve gone, inside or outside of the country, there’s just so much to take in. I hope I don’t forget to take a second to stop and truly take it all in.Before we know it our time here will be over and we will all be on to the next thing. Unlike most of the other girls here, I don’t know what my next step will be, and I’m slowly becoming more okay with it. This journey hasn’t gone as expected and it has taught me that not many things in our life do, no matter what we may think. This has been a constant reminder for me to change my mindset. To cross over from one way of thinking to another, one that’s okay when things don’t go as planned. And I hope that no matter what, amidst all of our travels throughout our remaining time here, I stop to smell the roses and recognize that there’s a reason and a season for everything.

Attraversiamo,

Kelsey Stratford

This week we had the opportunity to visit the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum with our amazing tour guide Giulia.  Before we entered the inside of the museum, we learned all about the frescos painted on the ceiling.  

Michelangelo, commissioned by Pope Julius II, was the artist held responsible for the entire project, which display the Old and New Testaments on the ceiling of the chapel. Originally, Pope Julius II gave Michelangelo four months to finish the entire ceiling.  Michelangelo ended up taking four years to finish the project.  During this time, Michelangelo was given free rein to do as he wished, however this project came at a cost to his personal life.  Through these four years, Michelangelo spent every moment painting while hunched over on scaffolding and painted through the night only with the light of one candle.  

Each painting has such intricate design and detail.  Each scene is blocked out by squares that depict stories from the Bible. The figures in the paintings proportions are much bigger than you would think.  In one of the squares, a man’s finger alone is the length of two forearms. Once we entered the chapel, I was fully able to appreciate all of the time and effort Michelangelo put into his art. When I bent my head back, the figures felt like they were jumping out at me.  The detail and use of color throughout all of the scenes is remarkable. It was the most amazing sight, something we will never forget!

Liz Cowhey