Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I made for myself in college. I had always known I wanted to study abroad and had heard amazing things from people who had gone, but it never really clicks until you experience it for yourself. It wasn’t always easy; I came into the program knowing no one. There was so much I had to quickly adjust to, a whole new culture and language. Studying abroad taught me how capable I was of it all. I created so many bonds and met tons of people from all over the world. We weren’t just learning about our host country, but about every country we visited.

Italy was my first choice when applying for study abroad because of my family’s roots. I was so happy to be placed in Rome where there’s so much history. It was kind of surreal to be walking to class past places famous in the Bible and history texts. Putting an image in my head of all of the things we learned gave me a deeper understanding of what Rome meant, and still means, to the world. The part of the city MSU and AUR located us gave me an idea of what it was like to live more like a local than a tourist. I learned that some of the stereotypes about Italy were true, and some were not. More importantly I learned that there was so much more to Italy and its regions than I had ever previously known.

Studying abroad is, of course, meant to teach you about other cultures, but one thing I didn’t expect was how much I would learn about myself. I didn’t expect to miss specific things from home so much. I realized that there were parts of my daily routine in the U.S that I had taken for granted. In the same way, I’m sure I will go back and realize that I miss certain parts of my life from Italy. Studying abroad teaches you things before you leave in preparation, while you’re there emerged in a new culture, and when you come home with a different view of the world.

Name: Rachel Muller
Status: Junior
Major: Finance
Hometown: Commerce, Michigan
Program: American University of Rome