Friday, June 19, 2015

Last Post: What Rome Means to Me

Group photo at the Colosseum
Rome has definitely changed my perspective and has given me a broader view on how I see the world. This trip has made me more grateful... and I feel a lot more blessed to live the life that I do back at home. A lot of people would have loved (but never got the chance) to study abroad and visit foreign countries and I'm one of the lucky ones that actually made it. I truly enjoyed every single minute of this trip-despite the heat and my sore feet. It makes me sad that we have to leave already, time just flew right on by.

Group Photo at the Basilica of San Clemente


Right now I can't exactly say what this trip means to me. I think that maybe a little bit in the future I can look back and reflect and then really decide what this experience has done for me as a whole. My absolute favorite aspect about this trip was being able to share this experience with our group and the fact that we were seeing the things we were learning about in person. I came here with absolutely no knowledge about Ancient Roman history and Rome in general, so I can say that I'm taking a lot away from this trip knowledge wise. As for the culture I feel like it's important to realize there's more ways of living rather than just what we are used to in America. I know sometimes I get caught up in my own life, doing my own thing, and I don't really think about how the rest of the world is doing. This trip has helped me in that way too and I probably will start paying more attention to the rest of the world while at home.

Group Photo at the Pantheon
My last free day in Rome was spent lounging around and packing my stuff. The only time I actually stepped out of the apartment was when I left to put my bag in storage. Although my Rome trip is coming to an end I'm really excited to continue my own journey around Europe. I don't know when I'll ever get the chance to do this ever again, so I'm trying to get as much traveling done as my budget will allow me. It's been fun Rome- Let's do it again sometime.

-Ciao,
Justina Bingham