I have been in Rome for three weeks now, and I can already tell that the next couple of months will be unlike any that I have experienced before. I have quickly discovered that being in Rome as a tourist and living in Rome as a student are two completely different things. I have already seen a new side of Rome that I did not get the chance to see before, and I fell in love with this side of Rome immediately. So I have made it my mission during the semester to try to live as the Romans do, and avoid anything “touristy”, so that I can experience Roman culture at its best.

During the first two weeks I visited all of the big sights like the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon. Now I have started exploring the little side streets and alleyways of Trastevere, I have found an amazing local restaurant which I have frequented to the point where the staff recognizes me on the street, I have found the best place to get supplies, I have found a favorite grocery store, and in short, I have begun to make Rome my home. The fact that I have done so not only in three short weeks, but also in a country where I don’t speak the language, and in a city where I do not know my way around, is astonishing to me. I hope the next couple of months holds nothing but more of what I have experienced so far!

Alethea – Suffolk University