As my time in Europe comes to an end, I’ve done a lot of reflection on myself and my time here. I’ve grown a lot as a person and had a lot of experiences that are unforgettable. The most profound memories I’ll take away from this trip are the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met and can now call my friends. I remember being extremely nervous at the program orientation in August, but that quickly changed.
I had been to Rome earlier this summer, so I expected to have an easier time adjusting to Rome than Paris, and I did find that it was easier to get around Rome. The main differences between Paris and Rome in my experience were public transportation and the fact that we all lived in the same apartment complex in Rome. In Paris, I relied a lot more on the metro because it was more extensive. It would’ve been too long of a walk from my apartment to the school, or go visit my friends at their apartments. In Rome, I did a lot more walking as opposed to using the metro because Rome’s metro system is not as popular and it is more limited.
In Italy, I had a great desire to visit other cities as well. I took weekend trips to the Amalfi Coast, Milan, and a day trip to Florence on one of the weekends. I’ve enjoyed how easy travel is within Europe, as trains are a lot more utilized here compared to America. I have found that Italy is a country with diverse cities. Rome is known for its history, the Amalfi Coast for the beaches, and Milan is the fashion capital of Italy. When I was in Milan, I went to visit the Duomo di Milano, which was an amazing building to see. The architecture is such a huge part of Italy’s history, and every city has a different style. For example, the Duomo di Milano was much more grand compared to the ancient style of Rome.
The city of Orvieto, a small town in the hills that is about an hour and a half north of Rome, was a highlight for me. Accent, our school here, arranged a day trip for us to visit Orvieto and go on a walking tour. This required us to wake up early in order to make the train that was arranged for us. Waking up this early was not easy, but I found that it was one of the most beautiful places I’d seen. From the train station, we took a funicular up to Orvieto, where one of the first things we saw was the ruins of the Albornoz Fortress which overlooked the valley. There was still a layer of fog, but it was still a beautiful view. After the lunch break, we had a guided tour where we learned about the history of the town. A couple of notable sights were the Duomo Cathedral and the Pozzo della Cava, which is an underground cavern that features a well and medieval kiln. The entire group was on the trip together which made it more memorable. It can be difficult to arrange group outings with all 31 of us!
I am excited to return home, but I will miss being in Europe and the adventures that came along with it. I have always had a love for traveling, and that passion only grew stronger over the past few months. I have grown more confident sitting down and planning a trip for myself. Additionally, I have gained a stronger sense of independence and feel more confident about being able to navigate to new places. I look forward to being home though, visiting new friends where they live, and seeing new parts of California in the process.
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