It was always a dream of mine to spend time studying abroad during my time in college. After deciding to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, I began to lose hope that this would be possible as my courses continued to get more and more technical. CEA CAPA provided me with an opportunity, however, to not only complete a summer Thermodynamics course to help advance my engineering degree, but also a general elective course studying the food and wine in Italy which immersed me further into Italian culture.  

Grabbing an espresso at the cafe under the CEA CAPA building between classes 

Arriving in Rome was such an exciting time, but I was also nervous about how smooth my transition would be. When I first walked into my home for the next two months I was shocked. The apartment CEA CAPA provided was much nicer and larger than I had imagined. I had six other roommates who became my friends immediately, and experiencing something so new and thrilling together brought us closer than I even expected.  

Exploring Rome during our first day 

Having an authentic Italian feast in our apartment on a hot summer night 

Our apartment was in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Rome, and exploring the area in the first few weeks was some of the most fun we had during our time abroad. Finding new places to eat, interesting architecture, and scenic photo spots made discovering the city all we wanted to do.  

Shopping at the local neighborhood market 

The chefs and us at our favorite local restaurant 

My favorite sandwich shop in our neighborhood 

One of the biggest challenges we ran into was public transportation. The metro intimidated us as the different lines and stops had to be memorized to keep us from being lost, and the buses were another level of difficulty as they were commonly late or didn’t show up at all. After a few weeks of trial and error we all learned the most efficient way to get around different parts of Rome whether it be the metro, bus, walking, or even renting bikes. A city whose massive size and intricacy once intimidated us was now accessible and at our fingertips. 

Getting comfortable with Italy’s public transportation 

Seeing the new pope be inaugurated just blocks from our apartment 

The neighborhood became more familiar. The city that held so many unknowns began to feel like home, and the thought of leaving became harder and harder to deal with as we dove further into the rich and deep culture of Italy.  

Watching a parade march through our street on the way to class 

Eating at our favorite neighborhood restaurant 

At the end of the program I was deeply saddened as I took one last look around our now-empty apartment and smiled at all the laughter and memories we shared as we made Rome our home.