Reflecting on Roma #HogsAbroad in Italy #ThrowbackThursday

Lately, I have been teaching myself how to move on when things do not go as planned. This is a concept that was difficult for me to understand, and frankly, I am still learning. You see, my personality is very Type A. I like to plan. I like to know what is going on. Most of all, I like to be in control.

My study abroad experience has taught me more about myself and my attitude than I ever knew possible. I have been challenged and tested beyond measure. During my study abroad trip, my world was turned upside down. My trip that was supposed to last a little over 4 months in Rome turned into 2 months. As I sit on my back porch at home in Missouri, I don’t feel anger or frustration anymore. I have accepted that there are some things I cannot control. However, I do know I can control my attitude. There is so much I am thankful for. I am blessed to have seen all the things I was able to see. I know that I was able to experience more in 2 months than most can in a lifetime. I am blessed to have made life-long friends. I am blessed to have had faculty members that cared about me. I am blessed to be safe in my home now.

My program at the University of Arkansas Rome Center was one in a million. I was in the Global Studies program. I was one of 19 students in this specific program, and my class was lucky enough to be surrounded by faculty members who were, and continue to be, truly invested in our experiences. Our classes differed from those at our home campus in Fayetteville because we learned both in and out of the classroom. Rome was our classroom. We were able to apply concepts from class in our lives, and we made connections from textbooks to ancient ruins. You would never be able to imagine how magical the atmosphere is until you experience it for yourself. There is no way to replicate the experience of studying abroad, and I would argue there is no way to replicate the UA Rome Center. I am so lucky to have had the chance to study there. It is not every day that your class takes you to unimaginable places like Tivoli and Hadrian’s Villa.

Because of the courses I took at the UA Rome Center, I will progress as a worldly young professional. Global Studies is the study of all that is happening in the world now and how our past is leading us into the future. It is the concept of communication and technology and drawing connections from one end of the world to the other. It is understanding how as we move toward globalization, things begin to look different. These concepts and this understanding of our world moving forward will help me always place things into perspective. In my career, I will be better able to communicate with diverse cultures and be able to think on a larger scale.

As I sit in my rocking chair and watch my dogs play, I can’t help but look out into the trees and imagine a skyline of history and rich culture. I think of my 1.5 mile walk to school and how time always seemed to fly by. I’d exit my apartment building, pay 1 Euro for a shot of espresso and be on my way. I’d pass street vendors selling scarves one day and sunglasses the next. I’d dodge the young school children in a rush to catch their fast-paced parents. I’d look over the river and across the road at Vatican City. I would smile at the quiet bridge in front of Castel Sant’Angelo and admire the sun dancing across the ancient stones; I knew that within another hour it would be full of tourists and street vendors alike.

Sometimes I wonder how many different cultures and languages were on that bridge at any given moment; at times, it seemed like the whole world was right there. Soon after the bridge, I would find myself at the gates of Palazzo Taverna, my school. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t give to walk up those uneven steps and be out of breath again. I remember the walk like it was yesterday. Every day was a new adventure.

A piece of advice for those studying abroad in the future, and a piece of advice I wish I would have known, is to not save things for later. I kept telling myself I had all the time in the world to see things and do things I wanted. The truth is, you never know what will happen. Sometimes, “later” won’t come. Lucky for me, the Eternal City shall continue to thrive.

Roma, I’ll be back.

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Before the suspension of Spring 2020 study abroad programs, recent graduate Grace Vehige (Bachelor of Science in Agri Food & Life Sciences, Agricultural Education, Communication & Technology, Spring 2020) spent the Spring 2020 term at the University of Arkansas Rome Center with the help of the Honors College and the Nathan "Kitt" Rom Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship. Read more from Grace at https://gvehige.wixsite.com/servicetorome,

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/