My last month in Rome, I started to see things in a different way. Between the stress of finals and packing, and the exhilaration of traveling to some of my new favorite cities, you would think that Rome was the last thing on my mind. But that is far from the truth. The last few weeks in Rome I have begun to appreciate the city in the bittersweet way of one who is soon departing from it. I started paying more attention to my surroundings as I walked to class. I started enjoying gelato every day because I knew that soon I wouldn’t be able to have it anymore. I started to truly appreciate the amazing people that I have met here in Rome, and how much they have done for me over the semester.

And now, two days before I board a plane back to the United States, I can appreciate how much I have grown to love Rome. This city will always hold a special place in my heart, and I know deep down inside that this is not the last time that I will be in Rome. One day I will come back to this city, and I will not feel like the typical tourist, because I can say that I called Roma my home.

Alethea – Suffolk University