Rome was incredible. I returned to the U.S. yesterday after having been in Rome for the past week, and I can truly say that my study abroad program was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. The history, the architecture, and the city were so rich and intense and it was extremely interesting to walk around what used to be the strongest empire in world history.
On our first day, we did a walking tour around Rome, which included going to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The Colosseum was very interesting as I finally got to see a piece of world history that everyone hears about from the time they are children. It was also exciting to see the Roman Forum, which was the place where all of the marketplaces, political happenings, speeches, and just about everything else was happening in ancient Rome. I was also able to venture around at night to visit the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, both of which were very fascinating to look at. The second day, I was able to go and visit some ancient Roman aqueducts. The aqueducts were amazing to visit, as looking at them only reminded me of how intelligent the ancient Romans were. The fact they were able to figure out thousands of years ago how to bring fresh, clean water into Rome without the use of modern technology continues to boggle my mind. The next day, we went to visit the Vatican and it was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. Observing all of the paintings, tapestries, and statues and keeping it in the back of your mind that they were made thousands of years ago is astonishing. We then went over to Saint Peter’s Square and into the Basilica. The Basilica is the most breathtaking piece of architecture I have ever seen in my life, and being able to stand inside, taking everything in felt unreal. The next day we traveled to the ancient Roman city of Ostia Antica. Here we learned that the city was based near the ocean and a river for trading purposes. We then went to Hadrian’s villa which was interesting to walk through and learn about how it was the emperor’s “vacation retreat.” We had class multiple times throughout the week where we learned about the Roman empire, the Roman leaders, and how the empire and emperors represented global leadership.
The learning, exploring, and new adventures I went on during my time abroad gave me an eye-opening experience of a lifetime. Learning about how leaders of two of the biggest empires in world history operated their countries and also learning about what led to their eventual downfall was an experience I could never get anywhere else. It has already immensely changed my perspective not just on global business but on life as well.
