Solo Day in Rome

Author: Jackson Paine | Majors: Economics and Finance | Semester: Summer 2023

For many years I had dreamed of visiting Europe, being cut off from the western world and immersed in an entirely different place and culture. However, having academics at the forefront and days of travel intertwined provided such an individual experience for me and many of my peers from Arkansas, whom I had not previously known, but now call my friends. Upon my arrival, I was desperately missing the comforts and amenities that I had always taken for granted. It took time to come to grips with no air conditioner in my room and no ice water on a hot day, but I never fully came to grips with my reality: in Italy, in the countryside, studying abroad at CIMBA.

I was fortunate enough to study under two brilliant professors, Dr. Tara Welch of the University of Kansas and Dr. Eric Olson of the University of Tulsa, who both left a resounding impact on my experience abroad. Studying Greek/Roman mythology while abroad gave so much context to the works of art around Paderno del Grappa that we traveled to as a class as well as the priceless works I had the chance to see in the Vatican City, Accademia Galleria, and many others. I learned how to really see a work of art for its pieces, the divisions and negative space, used by great artists thousands of years ago. I am left with a lasting love for the arts and the intricacies that culminate to a fantastic story or a massive freestanding sculpture. My professor Dr. Olson provided me with a different lens to view the world through and established a mental framework for my future in economics. Learning about the European debt crisis during uncertain times in the European Union was nothing short of mindblowing. My comprehension of geo-politics and their effect on the economics of the world has totally changed how I am thinking about my career, and for that Dr. Olson will always have my thanks. Global Economics has left me pondering about my future as an academic and asking myself how far I want to continue to go after my undergraduate career is over. Both of these courses differed vastly from the University of Arkansas because of how practical all the information was. In such a short time together, these teachers really only care about instilling you with useful knowledge and a kindred passion for their specialities, which is undoubtedly the most fun and impactful learning experience.

Everyone obviously has their own bias, but my weekends of travel made me feel like the protagonist at every moment. Trips to Florence, Rome, Bologna, Venice, and my favorite Barcelona, continued to show me how big this world was, how small I am, and how little time we have in this life to see and do what we want. I have seen Michaelangelo’s David, witnessed the chilling beauty of the Sistine Chapel, climbed to the top of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, stayed up for the sunrise on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea after being on the front row for Kendrick Lamar, and now I am back in America, clinging on to so many timeless moments that I experienced while abroad. One profound memory that would be easy to lose in the midst of weeks of European exploration is walking two and a half miles with every piece of clothing I had in a backpack and searching for an elusive laundromat that did not appear online. Me and my best friend instead had to converse with locals and use translations to find our way around the deceiving large town of Crespano del Grappa. Afterwards, the Romanian owner of the store drove us back to Insituto Filipino as the sun began to hide away behind the looming Italian Alps.

Personally, I fell in love with the Italian countryside and the isolation of attending CIMBA. I would never steer anyone away from this program as I had the experience of a lifetime, but would caution those that long for amenities and are not willing to step off into the deep end. In addition, the limited access to the train station was a major surprise to me, as we were landlocked and hardly able to journey farther than Bassano del Grappa during the weekdays. If I could study abroad again, I would definitely choose a larger city with a vibrant culture, a scene for food, a train station, an airport, and other such things that would allow me to immerse myself as well as effortlessly navigate through Europe. Ultimately, I have changed and will never be the same. No one could notice the difference, but I know in my heart that the world will never be a small place again, that it is in fact a very big place, and that I must exhaust every opportunity to travel and see it all. I am grateful to the university for the financial concession I have been given and will forever be a fan and advocate for the honors college as well as studying abroad.