I’ve never been to Europe. So when I started packing and then repacking another five times before actually deciding which clothes I would be bringing, the thought of packing for yet another summer didn’t come to mind. I was leaving the California heat expecting anything but an Italian summer. Needless to say, sweatshirts, long sleeves, and pants would be the cause of my overweight bag.

Sweat is about the most appropriate word I can use to describe my first week in Italy. There isn’t a time during the day that I don’t feel my body producing it. I grew up in the Central Valley, where summers reach well over 100 degrees. You’d think this fact would make my transition easier. Although it hasn’t, I have to admit that this overbearing heat has yet to ruin my experience abroad.

I have only been in Rome for a little bit over a week and I have already grown to love the adventure, excitement and beauty the city has to offer. So far, I have had the opportunity to visit Ostia Antica, the Coliseum, and the Vatican. So maybe rather than simply using “Sweat” to describe my first week, I’ll use the phrase, “Sweaty Adventure” to truly do it justice.

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Jazmine is a current student at Saint Mary’s College of California studying at John Cabot University in Italy during the Fall 2016 term.