I was captured with the idea of studying abroad, and I knew I wanted to go the moment I learned about the opportunity.
By: Nicholas Palmeri
I enrolled in CSI’s study abroad program at the American University of Rome. The moment I boarded my flight to Rome Fiumicino Airport, my first thought was what have I gotten myself into? My friend attending another CUNY had told me she was doing a semester abroad through CSI, so I decided to research what programs were offered. The more I researched, the more I thought I should apply. In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to, no matter the adjustments I would have to face. Now, here I am. My program lasts one hundred and thirteen days, three and a half months to immerse myself in another culture that I wouldn’t have had the chance to if I had not chosen to go abroad.
I arrived in Rome on January 13th with my parents, a few days before orientation. Classes were scheduled to begin on the 20th. I was anxious to learn who my roommates were. Who was I going to share the bathroom with? Whose habits would I have to learn to try and not get in their way? I had never lived with roommates before. The school community was so polite and helpful. They know that study abroad students, in particular, are very out of their element. Then, classes began.
The neighborhood I am staying in is called Trastevere, a charming neighborhood, or quartiere, of Rome. It’s divided between the older Trastevere with cobble streets and the new. The old Trastevere is a thriving, picturesque place with plenty of restaurants that are worth a visit. The whole city is beautiful.
A fear of mine from the beginning was that I would have a hard time making friends. I had observed from early on that many study abroad students had come to Rome with their friends from home. Therefore, some weren’t very apt to stray far from their circles. This is understandable, but it also forced someone like me, the only male in Rome from CSI, to put myself out there.
I have never left home for this long before. I was used to relying on my parents and I knew that I would have no one to rely on in Rome. I would have to feed myself; I would have to do everything on my own. What would happen if there was an emergency back home? How would all of this affect me mentally? These are all worries that played over in my mind. I told myself that I would take it one day at a time, since that was all that I could do, and that the time would go by at a good pace because school would give me a structure to my week. Classes were scheduled Monday through Thursday for a total of sixteen hours per week. With studying to do and homework to complete, that number rose. If you study abroad, you can’t forget about actually studying, something that my parents reminded me of before we said our goodbyes.
