Study Abroad Summer 2016 Rome

Mary Claire Mordini

CWIL grant recipient

Study Abroad Summer 2016 – Rome

Reflecting back to just a few months ago still feels like a dream. My past summer vacation will always remain to be one of the best I’ve encountered in my life. Thanks to CWIL, I was able to go on the adventure of a lifetime to Rome, Italy. In Rome I was enrolled at John Cabot University and took two classes; they consisted of a religion class called “The Popes of Rome” and a historical perspectives class called “Rome and its Monuments”. Both these classes helped enrich me in the surroundings of the wonderful city I was staying in, and I truly felt immersed in its history and culture. In Rome, seven other Saint Mary’s students and I got to experience the new program at JCU for the first time, and I can assure you we were very pleased with it. The apartments we were placed in were very nice and comfortable, and it was such an amazing experience to share the apartment with nine other students from other schools in America. I made new friendships with some of these students, and the memories we share in Rome together will always remain a special thing. Navigating the bumpy cobblestone streets of Rome and Trestevere (where our apartment is located) with new friends and fellow Saint Mary’s students fills me withnostalgia on my study abroad experience. Every bone in my body misses the rich Italian culture, and I’m still in disbelief that I got to experience such an incredible adventure.

While in Rome, my friends and I decided to take weekend trips to other cities and countries to broaden our knowledge of the European culture even more. The first weekend there we traveled down to the Amalfi Coast of Italy on a bus, and stayed in the city of Sorrento while traveling to surrounding cities Positano, Pompeii, and the Island of Capri. The beauty seen there was absolutely breath taking and the summer weather made it an enjoyable trip. The weekend following that we headed up to Switzerland by bus again. Westayed in the city of Interlaken and took a day trip to their capital of Burn;the charming culture of the Swiss and the beautiful Alps made the trip another memorable one. After that, we took another trip to Barcelona Spain, and then Amsterdam Holland. Both cities and countries were so culturally rich; from visiting the Sagrada Famiglia in Barcelona, to riding bikes through the streets of Amsterdam and visiting the Anne Franks house, I can honestly say I accomplished and saw so many new and extraordinary things.

My favorite memory that remains with me from my time spent in Rome though was the many trips I took to the Vatican. With it only being a 15-minute walk from our apartment, I took advantage of going to visit the birthplace of my religion as much as I could. On Wednesday’s, we got tickets to the papal audience where Pope Francis came out and drove around waving and blessing the crowd that gathered to see him. Making sure I had a front row spot, I had a life changing experience seeing the pope that up close. That moment alone made my entire trip to Rome completely worth it. I am so beyond blessed and fortunate to have made the journey to Rome, and I am very happy that I decided to do it. Saint Mary’s should continue the JCU summer program so other students like myself who cannot go during the school year are given the opportunity to get a study abroad experience on their summer vacation. Thank you CWIL for supporting me with your grant, I couldn’t have had this life changing adventure without it.