The always-crowed Piazza di San Calisto. I pass this every day on my way to class and weed my way through tourists

It’s Wednesday Morning, my favorite day. I only have class Monday – Wednesday, so this is the last day of my workweek and it’s the most exciting day. I’m out the door on my way to class by 10:00 AM, but not before a stop at the local shop right around the corner of my apartment. It’s a bakery/pizza place, family owned. As I walk in, the Mom and Dad greet me with “Ciao!” and the biggest smile on their face. Before I can even begin to reply they start to cut open a fresh croissant and smother it in chocolate.

Pizza in the family owned/run café I visit for breakfast in the morning. 

My windy walk to class begins, taking me through Piazza di San Cosimato, and past everyone’s favorite place, G Bar! It takes about 10 minutes to reach the Tiber Campus, where I climb to the top of the stairs and sit down for International Marketing. The hardest thing about JCU is not class, but paying attention and stopping myself from staring out the window at the beautiful cityscape of Rome. It never gets old attending school in such a historical area.

The walk on my way home from class is nice to relax from the stress of the day

I have a break for lunch at 12:45 where I usually catch up with my friends in the Tiber Café and then return to class till 7:15. On my way home I stop by the grocery store and pick up supplies to cook dinner with. Ever since I’ve been studying abroad, I’ve learned so many new dishes that are cheap and healthy to make for dinner. It really helped me save money and discover new food!

On my days off, I like to visit the Villa Borghese gardens and take selfies with the statues

The weekend’s are always filled with new culture and travel. From time to time I had the opportunity to visit new countries like Barcelona and France, which really helped me embrace the different cultures around the world. Planning a trip takes a lot of time and effort but going to new countries and seeing the amazing things they have to offer like La Sagrada Familia and Eiffel Tower were experiences that I will not forget.

While Rome is an amazing place to be, sometimes it’s nice get away to visit somewhere new. This was in the Amalfi Coast on the island of Capri.

Compared to back home, things are a little different. No one in stores usually recognizes me and knows my order. New York City isn’t the friendliest either. Walking places here is very relaxing with the cobblestone streets and wide-open areas with markets. Rome has a very welcoming culture and really makes you feel at home, even when you’re in another country.

____

Andrew is a current student at the University of Alabama studying at John Cabot University in Italy during the Spring 2015 term.