Study in Study Abroad

Wait, I actually have to study while I am abroad?

I am now a week and a half deep into my classes and let me tell you it truly is a completely different experience abroad. I have many mixed feelings pertaining to my studies. On the one hand, I am enjoying it more than in the states due to being able to actually see and experience what I am studying. We do a lot more site visits and discussions than we are able to back on the home campus. On the other hand, it is harder to concentrate when there is a lot of traffic noise and I am constantly thinking about all the sites and things I want to visit and do. I think this past week has taught me how to balance school, exploring, and relaxation time. I do hope that this balance continues throughout my semester and it becomes easier. The classes that I am taking are Italian, Theology, Art History, English, History, and Renaissance and Baroque Art. Yes, you read that correctly. I am currently taking 6 classes for a total of 21 credits this semester. You may think that I am slightly crazy (which many of my friends and family do) but I think that this is really the best thing that I can do for my education and experience abroad. Renaissance and Baroque Art is offered through Richmond, which is the program and campus that we are taking the other St. Thomas classes through. This means that I am in a class with people from a different study abroad program which is fun to broaden my social network. I also am completely in love with the Renaissance and Baroque period and could see myself specializing in something around this time period, so it is so fun to be able to dive into the deep end with that. So far, I really enjoy all my classes and find myself being able to relate this new knowledge to my prior education last year. This excites me because all the classes I am taking apply in some way to my major and to my future career path.

I have been in Rome for approximately two and a half weeks and if I had to describe the experience, I would have to say fulfilling. The people, classes, history, and experiences that I have had thus far has really opened my eyes to the vastness and beauty of the world around me. In one of the articles I had to read for English, there was a great quote by Sejal Shah that said,” …many of us travel for the same reason—to feel the edges of ourselves simultaneously sharpened and blurred.” This quote really resonated with me and I thought I would share it with you. I feel myself being sharpened by seeing my growth in this last year and how I have created a lasting identity and habits for myself. I often worry that at St. Thomas I am not actually changing, I am just forming to my surroundings. Being here in Rome I have realized more of who I am and what things are important to me and how I need to input that into my life. I can feel myself being slightly blurred because I have had many expectations that were not met and also my view of some things being challenged. I tend to create alternative worlds and ideas of perfection in my mind for many types of things. Although I have traveled a great deal, there are still so many things that I do not know. It is hard to understand a culture and have compassion for people without immersing yourself into their everyday lives. I think studying abroad has this power to both sharpen and blur your identity for the better. A close friend told me a few days ago that “I think you need to allow your expectations for reality to not be met.” This is important for me and many others to fully realize and understand because usually our expectations are not met but something better comes from it.

“In the end, she became more than what she expected. She became the journey, and like all journeys, she did not end, she just simply changed directions and kept going.” -r.m. drake