First Weeks Abroad

My studies abroad in Rome did not begin with arriving at the airport or even setting foot on Italian soil and meeting other incoming students. For me, it started with a taxi stopping in front of a tall wooden gate—the kind where you can’t see anything behind it, so you have no idea what you’re about to walk into. I stepped out of the car and grabbed my two extremely heavy suitcases that almost exceeded the baggage weight limit, but technically didn’t (which felt like a victory at the time). I pushed open the small door next to the gate, and before I even had time to process what was happening, the taxi had already driven away. Suddenly, it was very quiet. In front of me there was a hill and a building somewhere up at the top. And then, when I turned my head slightly to the right, I saw something that made the moment feel very real: the dome of Basilica di San Pietro rising above the city. From where I stood, I could see the skyline of Vatican City. That was the exact moment when I realized that I was alone in Rome, in front of me was my home for the next three months…but first, I actually had to get there. Which, in practical terms, meant rolling my two giant suitcases up the hill.

For my study abroad semester, I chose to live at Camplus San Pietro, a student residence right in the heart of Rome. I really wanted to have my own room with a small kitchenette, and I wanted to be close to the center of the city. Looking back now, I’m so glad I made that decision. But at that moment, standing at the bottom of the hill with my luggage, I was mostly thinking about how I was actually going to get up there. Eventually, I did manage it—but not without help. The first person I met near the residence turned out to be my neighbor, and also my very first friend in Rome. Together, we rolled my suitcases up the hill, laughing a little at how dramatic the whole arrival felt. On my floor at Camplus, I also met other students from IES Rome, and we became close pretty quickly. Those first few days felt like a mix of confusion, excitement, and constant discovery. We spent a lot of time just figuring things out together: how to get to the nearest metro station, where to find the best gelato near our residence, and which grocery store would become our weekly stop.

Orientation honestly flew by. One of the most interesting parts of it was meeting the Italian student companions – students from local universities like Roma Tre University who helped us get settled in Rome. They showed us around the city, helped us get Italian SIM cards, answered all of our random questions, and made the whole transition feel much easier. That was probably my favorite part of orientation: learning about Italy from students who grew up here and know the city so well. They shared stories about Rome, about their daily lives, and about what it’s actually like to live in Italy. It made everything feel much more real and personal.

I also joined some of the extra orientation activities, which ended up being some of my favorite memories from those first weeks. There was a karaoke night, and there was a pizza-making event that I absolutely loved: Italians who didn’t speak much English showed us how to prepare the dough step by step. Then we made real Neapolitan pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil! I can definitely say that every single thing during orientation helped me adjust and practice Italian! 

Now that classes have started, it almost feels like those first two weeks were a dream, exciting, and slightly surreal fantasy. But at the same time, I think those first moments are exactly what made Rome start to feel like home. And my main advice for the first weeks in Rome: sign up for as many activities as possible, be ready to walk a lot, and accept that you’ll probably get lost every thirty minutes while trying to navigate the streets of Rome!