In Dubrovnik, Croatia, on our third weekend trip. We went on a boat tour to see different views of where Game of Thrones was filmed.

Author: Allie Rosen | Majors: Finance and Marketing

“How was studying abroad?” This is a question I expect to be asked countless times over the next few months. I know most friends do not want to hear the details of my travel weekend in Croatia, my paragliding excursion over Mount Grappa, the lessons we learned from missing trains, or the friendships I made that will last a lifetime. I typically answer with a simple, “it was the best month of my life,” and we carry on with our conversation. It sounds cliché to refer to my trip as “the best month of my life,” but I cannot imagine how I could grow, learn, observe, and achieve more in one month than I did at CIMBA Italy.

CIMBA was my study abroad program of choice because I knew it would allow me to network with professors from across the globe, complete courses that would count toward my majors, experience life in an Italian community, and increase my understanding of what it means to be a professional. Each of these reasons to attend held more than I anticipated. Global Economics, one of two classes I took, opened my eyes to how economics can be used to analyze almost any problem, from COVID-19 to inflation. Professor Eric Olsen from the University of Tulsa was incredible, and I am thrilled to now have a close connection with a professor from a different university.

The second course I took, Global Consumer, was life changing. We read fascinating articles on a variety of topics, from terrors within the misuse of child soldiers, to China’s rise in economic power, and how Africa and Italy have worked with China through its global expansion. The course was taught by a Sam M. Walton College of Business professor, Molly Rapert, with whom I am thrilled to have connected. She is kindhearted and extremely intelligent; I look forward to seeking out her advice when I return to University of Arkansas. After completing Global Consumer, I feel well equipped to bring my learnings into everyday discussion and courses I take in the future. Having never explored any of the fascinating topics it covered and doing so in a different continent opened my eyes to how little I know about the world and left me with a yearning to learn more about such topics.

A laid-back feeling and constant discussion made these courses feel significantly different from those at University of Arkansas. With a less formal culture, I felt particularly immersed in how Italians live their lives. Both courses were discussion-based; students were encouraged to speak their minds at any given moment. In terms of content, I am particularly grateful for Professor Rapert’s utilization of LinkedIn in her curriculum. A large component of the course was periodic updates on our LinkedIn accounts about what we were learning. For a business student like myself who aspires to attend law school, building my LinkedIn presence is critical, so this utilization of the professional social media platform was unique, appreciated, and beneficial.

After returning from a long travel day back to CIMBA from our first travel weekend to Lake Como, we exited our taxi from the train station, and I looked up at a bright yellow building. The “PIO” building contained my dorm room, my classrooms, and the dining hall. I felt a sense of relief; I was home. A location feeling like home after only one week is a rarity. Lake Como, Portofino, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, are the destinations I chose to plan trips to on the three travel weekends built into the program. While each trip was fantastic and presented unique challenges, picturesque views, and adventures, my fondest memories of the trip lie within Paderno del Grappa, CIMBA’s location. I experienced an authentic Italian lifestyle away from tourists; the only other Americans in Paderno were fellow students who were part of the program. This is where I spent mornings at the local patisserie speaking with its owner, Alba, about life in Paderno year-round. It is where I spent evenings with new friends at the local sports bar sharing stories about different field trips we went on that day, and where I ate dinner with my paragliding instructors at their favorite local pizza restaurant after an exhilarating paragliding flight. These experiences, and countless more, made CIMBA Italy the most incredible experience of my life. To say I recommend CIMBA is an understatement; it changed my life for the better.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. In an interview with former CIMBA Italy student Kile Graves, a required component of my Global Consumer course with Professor Molly Rapert, he left us with these wise words. This phrase stuck with me throughout the remainder of my experience abroad. It took immersing myself in a different culture and academic environment to realize the strength of these words; if I had been told the same phrase last semester before studying abroad, I would have brushed it off. Whether it be on a jam-packed train or in a restaurant where I must communicate through a language barrier, I eventually felt comfortable being uncomfortable. I learned how little I know and how much I have yet to experience. My future might surprise me with a month that takes CIMBA’s current place as “the best month of my life.” Until then, I will reminisce, reflect, and feel grateful for the thousands of happy moments CIMBA gave me. I do not see how any four weeks could ever top it.