Day trip to an agriturismo in Orvieto
Author: Tyler Outhouse | Majors: Advertising and Public Relations; Journalism – Multimedia Storytelling & Production | Semester: Summer 2023
New. That’s my word for the summer. New city. New country. New language. Everything was completely and utterly new.
This summer, I spent five weeks studying abroad in Rome, Italy. Visiting Italy, Rome especially, has always been a dream of mine, so finding myself with the opportunity to not only visit but to actually live and study in the city was surreal. When researching study abroad programs back in the spring, I was lucky enough to come across the CIS Abroad Summer in Rome program hosted by the American University of Rome. The program offered several courses that fulfilled some of my degree requirements, which is one of the main factors that drew my attention.
I took two classes while studying at the American University of Rome: Public Speaking and Presentation and Mussolini’s Rome. The public speaking class was definitely my favorite, and it helped me to develop the communication skills necessary in my future workplace and in life in general. Moreover, having the opportunity to speak on and hear about different topics from people of vastly different backgrounds and from places across the world was a fascinating experience. My instructor, Dr. Connelly, was lively and encouraging and made sure that everyone felt confident and comfortable when speaking. My second class was a political history class that discussed Rome’s fascist era. It gave me the opportunity to learn about the rich and dark history of a city while actually living in it and seeing in person the things that we learned about in class. The course included several site visits to historical buildings and locations around Rome, including to the Foro Italico and the Altar of the Fatherland. It was interesting to learn about the significance of these sites in class, and then to go and see them in person! The instructor, Dr. Mazzei, is a local Roman and was able to incorporate some of his own family stories and experiences into the course.
Because I studied at an American university, my classes were actually pretty similar to those that I’ve taken at the University of Arkansas. They both involved a significant amount of group discussion and collaboration, which I really appreciated! The biggest difference, I think, was the smaller class size, as I’m used to taking larger classes at the U of A.
One of my favorite parts of the summer was the opportunity to go on weekend trips with my new friends! On the third weekend of our program, which also happened to be my birthday weekend, five of my friends and I took a trip south to the Amalfi Coast. We stayed in an Airbnb in a small town just outside of Sorrento called Massa Lubrense, where we met and befriended a local named Antonio! The easiest way to get around the area was by taxi, so we also had the opportunity to talk with our drivers about the city and their likes and dislikes. They shared suggestions with us about things to do and see along the coast, and we also got to talk with them about where we’re from and our thoughts on Italy. On the way back home from Sorrento, my friends and I were waiting at the tiniest train station in the middle of nowhere and met another traveler named Diego, who’s from Mexico but has lived in a few cities across Europe. We got to chat with him on a train to Naples, and then we parted ways as we left to catch our connecting train back to Rome. As chance would have it though, my friend and I randomly bumped into Diego on the streets of Barcelona the next weekend! Of course, we had to take a selfie with him to send to the group chat. That moment was the definition of “small world” and was definitely a talking point for the rest of the summer!
As cliché as it sounds, this summer abroad was truly one of the best experiences of my life and one that I would highly recommend to anyone who finds themselves with the opportunity. I found CIS Abroad to be the perfect program for me, as they provided me with plenty of guidance before I left for Rome but gave me the freedom to explore the city on my own once I arrived! I would recommend the program to any students who prefer this sort of freedom and the opportunity to figure things out for themselves in the city.
Because this study abroad experience was my first time leaving the country, I went into it with no expectations. Honestly, I think this is the best way to go about it. You get the chance to mold your experience from scratch and learn as you go.
Take all the pictures, eat all the food, and just say “yes.” Take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself and learn to be okay with everything that goes wrong! Embracing the mistakes and learning from them is half of the experience. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and one that will allow you to grow immensely as a person and a citizen of the world.