February came with a fury as Rome was shut down due to a snowstorm. Apparently we came during Rome’s coldest winter in 100 years, which includes the most snow in 25. My friend Kelsey and her friends came to visit Rome for the weekend, which started out to be a disaster. The city was in utter chaos as the snow covered the streets. I have not seen chaos about snow like that since the great 09 snowstorm in South Carolina when my school got a whopping 2 inches of snow, shutting down the university for two days. I went out to look for my friends who were at Termini train station. Well, all my degree seeking friends, including the usually reliable Liz told me that Termini was in the completely wrong direction. I wound up being lost in the blizzard for two hours, soaked and freezing. I finally found my friends and the weekend turned out to be a lot of fun. I coined this weekend “The see Rome in two days tour” because I rushed my friends through the snow covered town to all the main sites. In just 2 days we managed to see the Vatican, The Collosseum,(which was absolutely beautiful covered in snow) The Forum, Augustus’s Mausoleum, The Pantheon, The Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, and what I like to think is the best gelato place in Rome.

February wound up being a very good transition month. I settled in and got over the “honeymoon” phase of Studying Abroad. I still maintain that it is the best decision I have ever made. The month consisted of me being very, very cold, getting used to my new workout plan, getting settled in with classes, and getting even more comfortable with my roommates.

I took an SAI sponsored trip to Tuscany on the weekend of 2/17/2012, which was a breathtaking weekend. It was the first time out of Rome for me and it was great. We saw the cities of Civita Di Bagnoregio, Sovana, and Pitigliano. All were staples in Etruscan times and were beautiful. It was a great job by SAI and I am really thrilled that I picked a program that offers so much.

February was all in all a great month. Studying abroad is helping me define my future. It is making me realize what person I want to be in life. I am excited to see how much I will grow in the upcoming two months.

Christian – University of South Carolina