On top of the world in the Dolomites
Author: Megan Paul | Major: Interior Design
My name is Megan Paul and I am an Interior Design major at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. I chose to study abroad in the Fall Semester of 2021, at the University of Arkansas Rome Center. Almost immediately I transitioned from a life of quiet and isolation into a state of travel and adventure. I went from quarantine, to being home with my roommates more often than not, then out in the world for an internship, home again, and then back out to see Rome. I had traveled abroad once before with my family, an experience which determined the path I am on today and told me to study architecture and interior design. That experience of 14 days in the summer before college showed me that studying abroad was something I needed to do, and that it would impact my life in an even deeper way. Studying in Rome with the University of Arkansas was something that I knew would allow me to have this experience and would also challenge me professionally. I chose this program to gain stronger connections across the Fay Jones School, and to build even more curiosity about the world and how to serve it.
Spending weekends exploring!
For a designer, it is easy to be meticulous. Precise. Modern. Rome taught me how to be rough. How to find the beauty in the ruins, and the reminders of the past. Experiencing the way traffic moves, how people interact with strangers, how they interact with friends, and the affection for Rome’s history that is as deeply engrained in the people as the cobblestones in the street. The combination of art and architecture, the contrast of past and present, and the life of the city filled my time across the semester. A train ride away and we visited Cinque Terre, where we explored the seaside towns and their hidden secrets. Further north we visited Milan, climbing the Duomo, and experiencing modern fashion. The Dolomites, Venice, Florence, Amalfi, Pompeii, Naples and all the train car windows in between.
Learning from Italians was not as straightforward as I had anticipated, but it was something that I came to value as much as the experiences I had in the city. Having this new perspective guide me in my education and design not only made me a more well-rounded individual, but also helped me to understand other people and their motivations in a deeper way. In Fayetteville, I find a lot of the same opinions, methods, and opportunities that I am used to experiencing. All valuable in their own way, but not bringing any new ideas to light. I felt that the courses and teaching in Rome allowed me to understand different perspectives and create a better method for my design.
With all of these experiences, it is easy to say that I think anyone who has the opportunity to visit Rome should take it, and soak it all in. Go for as long as you can. I wish I knew before I went how unique the Italian culture was, and how to find it in all of its glory. It is important to go in with an open mind, but also an open heart. Be ready to love Rome and her people. Be ready to look at the Pantheon and feel how it has been there long before you and will stay there long after you leave. Flying home felt entirely different from flying there and left me wondering where the rest of my life will take me. Instantly I began planning and searching for my next adventure, and ready to learn from other kinds of people, and you will too. From listening to street performers, to afternoons on the beach, to hiking a mountain, everything in those four months felt more vibrant. More alive. And so did I. It was a feeling and a life which I will always remember and will always look to find again.