Court No.1 at Wimbledon

Author: Jess Shearman | Major: Landscape Architecture

Surrounded by the melodic sounds of Romans greeting neighbors while stirring their cappuccino and fans rhythmically rotating to attempt refuge from the Mediterranean heat – this was a typical morning at my local cafe before trekking to class. While many things seemed foreign when beginning my 10-week study abroad, my Roman neighborhood soon became home. Compared to my life in Fayetteville, everything in Rome seemed chaotic but in the best way possible. Every day came filled with new and spontaneous experiences that I will never forget.

While my four classes were out of the University of Arkansas Rome Center campus, most days in the first half of the semester consisted of visits to iconic architecture or tours of neighborhoods within and outside Rome. These neighborhood tours were the most influential to me of understanding how different culture and history intertwines with the urban fabric of a particular neighborhood. We also took trips outside of Rome to study Italian villas, piazzas, and Tuscan hilltop villages. These visits were especially interesting having studied the sites for years and finally experiencing the spaces in person. Being able to have an understanding of the history, culture, and form both inside and outside of Rome will continue to influence me academically and professionally in the future.

In the second half of the 10-week semester, my studio began using the understanding of culture and urban form to re-design a Roman piazza in the periphery neighborhood of Garbatella. Being an American having to design a space for Italians did not come without its challenges. However, it was the most important lesson I learned: the importance of understanding the culture, history, and people you are designing for.

Outside of class, I took every opportunity to be more immersed in Italian culture. Whether it was hopping on the bus or metro to a new neighborhood or piazza, trying a new restaurant or cafe, or taking the train to the beach, there was always something new to experience. I was also able to travel outside of Italy by visiting London for our summer break. During this trip I checked off a bucket list item of doing The Queue at Wimbledon. Me and three other classmates arrived at 4 a.m. with hundreds of other people from all over the world waiting in line for the coveted Wimbledon court tickets. By 11 a.m we sat three rows behind the umpire on Court No.1.

Overall, the trip taught me the importance of spontaneity and flexibility. In Fayetteville, we are used to our daily routines with rarely having new experiences. While it took getting used to, staying flexible and open to the good chaos that Rome and travel abroad brings was the key to making a home away from home. My advice would be to take every chance to stop and be in the moment of history and culture. Whether that is stopping at a cafe for a cappuccino, or sitting in a piazza to people-watch, take it all in and stay spontaneous.