A Roman Summer-Study Abroad 2014
During the month of July 2014, I had the opportunity to study abroad in the beautiful and historic city of Rome, Italy. I attended The American University of Rome and earned six semester credits through my two courses: Art of Rome and Italian Language and Culture. I studied through the organization ISA or International Studies Abroad. I lived with five other women from my program in an apartment and there were 35 students in the ISA program in total. Throughout the month, I studied Roman art and architecture, visited countless major monuments, felt humbled while inside many beautiful basilicas, spoke in the native language, traveled to multiple Italian cities, learned to navigate the public transportation system, witnessed a speech from the Pope, made friendships that will last throughout my lifetime, and gained more knowledge about another nation, other people, and myself that I could have ever imagined. I spent my mornings walking the streets of the city, listening to my art history professor as she lectured about the daily topic on site while my afternoon were spent learning how to hold a conversation with an Italian local and how to order gelato. My evenings were spent making dinner with my roommates or eating out at a local restaurant exploring the Italian cuisine.
Each weekend I would travel with my entire program or a small group from my program to other Italian cities. I spent a day exploring the hillside town of Orvieto. I conquered the leather market, took a classic photo on the Ponte Vecchio, and starred in awe at Michelangelo's David in Florence. I rolled through the Tuscan countryside and wined and dined in style at Castello di Verrazzano in Chianti. I climbed to the top of Mount Vesuvius, a volcano that is still technically active. I drank fresh lemonade, purchased linen clothes, and ate the catch of the day in Sorrento. I had the time of my life on a boat ride around the island Capri with a pit stops to swim in the Blue Grotto and through the Arch of Love. I walked through the two thousand year old preserved city of Pompeii realizing how similar life is today to those who lived there before being covered by six meters of ash. Finally, I made it to Cinque Terre were a hiked from one town to another, jumped off a cliff, and ate pesto from its birthplace.
Honestly, I had the greatest experience of my life and I will never forget this month I spent in paradise. I feel more confident in myself knowing that I accomplished this goal. I have ignited a fire within myself that will keep me wanting to travel all around the world to expand my knowledge and see all the beauty spread across the globe.
My journal: Each night, I wrote in a journal what I did throughout that day. I put on paper what I did physically, how I felt mentally, and what I learned. I filled 150 pages and I will have this journal to look back and reflect on throughout the rest of my life. Staying persistent in my writing was difficult, but I am so thankful I was able to complete it. Writing down your thoughts, especially during an experience such as this, is key to understanding the impact it has on you. As I wrote each day, a smile would emerge across my face because I was so happy that I had the opportunity to do all that I was able to do in such a short amount of time. My journal is pictured below.
Museum tickets: I have pictured below many of my museum tickets. An appreciation for art is one of the most significant things I developed during my time in Rome. I had never been genuinely interested in studying art prior to this trip. Rome has such an immense amount of history and art that is difficult at times to wrap your head around. I often would walk through museum hallways with my mouth wide open in amazement looking at the detail of sculptures, the lifelike characteristics of paintings and frescos, and the tokens of society on display. Although I am in no way an expert on art after this experience, I learned much regarding ancient, Renaissance, and Baroque art and architecture including the materials used, the purpose of structure, and the importance of relics and icons.
Art of Rome Writing Assignment: I have also included a copy of my term writing assignment for Art of Rome. My paper was written about the Fountain of Triton, which was designed an completed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. I had to do a formal and structural analysis of a piece of artwork that we had not studied in class. I chose the Fountain of Triton because it was the first fountain I stumbled upon and admired on my second evening in Rome.
Each weekend I would travel with my entire program or a small group from my program to other Italian cities. I spent a day exploring the hillside town of Orvieto. I conquered the leather market, took a classic photo on the Ponte Vecchio, and starred in awe at Michelangelo's David in Florence. I rolled through the Tuscan countryside and wined and dined in style at Castello di Verrazzano in Chianti. I climbed to the top of Mount Vesuvius, a volcano that is still technically active. I drank fresh lemonade, purchased linen clothes, and ate the catch of the day in Sorrento. I had the time of my life on a boat ride around the island Capri with a pit stops to swim in the Blue Grotto and through the Arch of Love. I walked through the two thousand year old preserved city of Pompeii realizing how similar life is today to those who lived there before being covered by six meters of ash. Finally, I made it to Cinque Terre were a hiked from one town to another, jumped off a cliff, and ate pesto from its birthplace.
Honestly, I had the greatest experience of my life and I will never forget this month I spent in paradise. I feel more confident in myself knowing that I accomplished this goal. I have ignited a fire within myself that will keep me wanting to travel all around the world to expand my knowledge and see all the beauty spread across the globe.
My journal: Each night, I wrote in a journal what I did throughout that day. I put on paper what I did physically, how I felt mentally, and what I learned. I filled 150 pages and I will have this journal to look back and reflect on throughout the rest of my life. Staying persistent in my writing was difficult, but I am so thankful I was able to complete it. Writing down your thoughts, especially during an experience such as this, is key to understanding the impact it has on you. As I wrote each day, a smile would emerge across my face because I was so happy that I had the opportunity to do all that I was able to do in such a short amount of time. My journal is pictured below.
Museum tickets: I have pictured below many of my museum tickets. An appreciation for art is one of the most significant things I developed during my time in Rome. I had never been genuinely interested in studying art prior to this trip. Rome has such an immense amount of history and art that is difficult at times to wrap your head around. I often would walk through museum hallways with my mouth wide open in amazement looking at the detail of sculptures, the lifelike characteristics of paintings and frescos, and the tokens of society on display. Although I am in no way an expert on art after this experience, I learned much regarding ancient, Renaissance, and Baroque art and architecture including the materials used, the purpose of structure, and the importance of relics and icons.
Art of Rome Writing Assignment: I have also included a copy of my term writing assignment for Art of Rome. My paper was written about the Fountain of Triton, which was designed an completed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. I had to do a formal and structural analysis of a piece of artwork that we had not studied in class. I chose the Fountain of Triton because it was the first fountain I stumbled upon and admired on my second evening in Rome.
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