Author: Jonathan Digby | Major: Electrical Engineering | Semester: Summer 2024
Colossus of Rome
This summer, I spent five weeks studying abroad in Rome, Italy, at the University of Arkansas’s Rome Center. I chose this program for several reasons. Firstly, I had traveled to Italy a few years ago but didn’t have enough time to truly explore the country. For this reason, I knew I had to go back one day so that I could experience everything that I had missed. I wanted to fully immerse myself in the Italian culture and history and this was the perfect program for it. Additionally, this program worked better with my financial situation. Because it was only a five-week program and through the university, it was much more affordable.
During my time abroad, I took two courses: Basic Course in the Arts and Introduction to International Relations and Global Studies. My course in Art History was very engaging and I feel that I learned much better taking the course in Rome. Each week we would spend one of our classes talking about a specific time period and the defining works and artists of that era. We would then use the other class that week to go to different museums and monuments to see the art in person. My favorite experience was studying the frescoes painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and then getting to go see them in person. It was so cool to learn this way because usually you’re shown a bunch of images on slideshows, and you don’t get the chance to go out and actually experience what your professor is teaching.
Similarly, my International Relations and Global Studies course offered hands-on learning opportunities. One highlight was a Syrian cooking class, which went with our discussions on international refugees and Italy’s significant Syrian refugee population. The class was hosted by Syrian refugees, and they told us about their personal experiences as they taught us to cook. We also visited an international market where vendors from around the world sold cultural items, including clothes, fruits, meats, and plants. I’m glad I took these classes in Italy, rather than Arkansas, because I received such a unique and enriching perspective of the subjects covered that I would not have gotten otherwise.
Whenever I wasn’t in class, I was exploring as much as I possibly could. Often, at least one of my roommates would be free at the same time, and we would head out into the city. Each time, we chose a different area of Rome to discover. Within the first week, we had visited all the major monuments. By the second week, we had explored nearly all 22 districts of Rome. Trastevere was the coolest district by far because it had a unique atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Rome. The best word to describe it is “funky.” The streets were always bustling with people, and everything was vibrantly colorful. Every night, a different street performer would captivate the crowds in one of the plazas and everyone would dance late into the night.
On our free weekends, my roommate and I ventured outside of Rome. Our first trip was to Cinque Terre, a region in Italy made up of a string of five coastal villages, which were a stark contrast to Rome. Each village was a colorful town with vineyards climbing the cliff sides on terraces. We stayed in Groppo, a small village up the mountain from the second coastal village of Manarola. Groppo was less touristy and offered a more authentic cultural experience. On our first day, we hiked further up the mountain to an even smaller village, where we found a small church and a community area with a soccer field. We played a friendly game with an old, torn-up ball we found. This remains one of my favorite experiences from my time abroad. On the second day, we took a train to the third coastal village and explored it thoroughly before hiking through the mountains to the fourth village, repeating the process, and eventually reaching the fifth village. Then we made our way to the first village before finally making our way back to Rome.
On another free weekend, we traveled outside of Italy to Nice, France. There, we had some of the best stew I’ve ever tasted. After lunch, we visited Monaco, the second smallest country in the world. Due to its small size, we explored all of Monaco in a day. Monaco was a very rich country so most of our exploring was of luxury designer stores, cars, and yachts. We stayed in an Airbnb that was one of the yachts in the harbor, though it wasn’t one of the large luxury ones. The next day, we returned to Italy to explore Como. Although Como was filled with tourists, it didn’t feel like the tourist traps we had encountered in Rome. The town had a medieval charm, and Lake Como, with its stunning backdrop of large mountains, was breathtaking.
I am so glad I decided to study abroad in Italy. This trip was an amazing experience, and I’ve gained memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. By the end of the five weeks, I was ready to go home, but I will miss Italy—especially the food, like the pizza and sandwiches. I also met many wonderful people and made lasting friendships. This truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.