Alexandra Wurglics – Ciao from Rome!
Ciao from Rome!
My name is Alexandra Wurglics and I am a junior in the Honors College majoring in History, minoring in Education and Anthropology. I decided to study abroad at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy for the Fall 2014 semester and I am so happy to be sharing my experiences with the Adelphi community. This blog post and later ones put on this site will appear in very similar form in the Delphian Study Abroad Column. I am hoping that through these two networks, many people will be inspired to study abroad and travel. Hope you enjoy my perspectives on studying abroad and thank you for reading!
Firstly, why Rome? Why study abroad? Ever since I began traveling in high school, I knew that I wanted to experience different places and expose myself to a new lifestyle. What better way to do this than to study abroad? I am able to gain credits for school while seeing many places, meeting students from around the world, and immersing myself in a new culture. Yes, it does seem daunting, and it completely was at first, but after a few weeks, the newness just became normal everyday life. By the end of the semester, I will be able to say that I not only lived in Rome for four months, but learned more than I ever could have in a different situation. Studying abroad is not just about being able to say that you traveled. You learn about culture, history, and most importantly yourself. It is the gateway to so much more.
View of Rome from the top of Gianicolo Hill
We all arrived in Rome on August 26th to begin Orientation. I felt like a freshman all over again, but learned about important university services and met some very nice friends. I have also become even more grateful for the two students from Adelphi that are also studying here at John Cabot University with me. Admittedly, I was extremely homesick the first week and a half. Transitioning from a commuter at Adelphi to a dorming study abroad student 4,000 miles away in Rome, Italy was very interesting and hit me in ways I did not even think it would. (Needless to say that little things from home, such as oatmeal, photographs, and soft pillowcases, were very welcome additions to my room.) Looking back now, and even still today on some slower days, I do have those pangs about what everyone back home is doing or how I wish I could eat some home cooked food, but then I remember how lucky I am to have this opportunity and I intend to make the very most of it! A few weeks ago at Mass, which I have found in English, the priest commented in his homily that, “people cannot focus on what they have if they are always looking at what they don’t have.” This resonated with me and my situation at the time. I want to live in the present while here and just appreciate where I am and what is in front of me.
I do have to warn everyone that yes, studying abroad is completely amazing in terms of experiences, traveling, and studying, but it is also really hard! There are so many more things to worry about here such as pit-pockets, cooking dinner, converting everything from temperature to distance, and even recipes not written in milligrams. Also, when you are unfamiliar with a city and do not know where you can purchase things, it takes triple the amount of time to find everything that you need. There are some days where I get frustrated and say, “This day was not so great”, but there are others that make me feel so excited and appreciative of where I am.
Positano, Amalfi Coas
View of the Caldera, Santorini, Greece
I wish that I could share all of those wonderful days with you, but seeing as how I would take up the entire blog if I tried, here are just a few: 1. I had the complete privilege of attending the Papal Audience with Pope Francis a few weeks ago. The pope-mobile passed within 6 feet of me and I felt so blessed to be there with thousands of other people witnessing the pope speak and bless everyone. It was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience. 2. I was also lucky enough to take a weekend trip to Santorini and Athens, Greece. (One of the great things about studying in Europe is the opportunity to visit other cities. I would definitely recommend studying abroad somewhere with access to other areas.) It has been a dream of mine to see houses with white walls and blue roofs so when I saw the caldera mountainside with the houses on the cliff’s edge, I was in speechless awe. It was a wonderful moment! 3. The second weekend that I was here, the two Adelphi students and myself took a trip south of Rome to the Amalfi Coast. Sorrento, Capri, Positano, Amalfi, and Atrani were all completely picturesque towns and the scary cliffside bus ride from town to town was well worth it. I had one moment standing at a higher point in the extremely small town of Atrani where I realized how small I really am compared to the world. There are billions of people on the Earth and the vastness of everything cannot be comprehended until you begin to see more of it. People said that I would have this realization, but I had no idea how much it would impact me.
Traveling really does change a person’s perspective on the world, the people in it, and life itself. It is very interesting to interact with other cultures and see people in their home setting. It is incredible to look out at a place and see everyone walking around. Each has his/her own story and talents. It causes you reflect on your talents and contributions to the world. Many of you will realize that you have already done much more than you think and have impacted more people than you even know! It is a great feeling. Reflecting on this however, just ignites an even bigger flame to get to know more cultures, impact more people, and see even more of the world. It is a wonderful cycle full of adventure and learning.
Papal Audience
I hope that this segment has forced everyone to think about their significance in this world, while simultaneously sharing small pieces of Europe and all that it has to offer. (I also promise to share more about actual Rome and university life in the next blog post.) Thank you so much for reading!!