Being in Rome has been a wonderfully breathtaking experience that has finally opened my eyes to a completely different culture. Living in the Italian neighborhood of Garbatella I am able to get the full experience of the everyday life of an Italian. I go to coffee shops and their local markets and grocery stores. I have found that all the food here is so fresh and tastes great, but that does come with one problem…a lot of the food goes bad a lot quicker than it does back home. I have also learned about some of the local manners. For example, when you enter a cafe, you say “buongiorno” to the people at the front. If you don’t, they will be kind of rude to you for not greeting them when you enter. Because of experiences like this one, I really enjoy living in this part of Rome that does not have as many tourists.
Standing in front of the statue of Augustus Caesar, the First emperor of Rome 
The Roman Forum taken from the Palatine Hill
I have seen a change in myself. I am picking up Italian to be able to survive in the city. I have learned rather quickly how to order food, and how to pay and get my groceries. The best part of this experience to me was seeing all the places that I have been studying while I have been at UNL finally. I have seen the Coliseum, the Circus Maximus, and the Forum to name a few. I can now finally put a measure to the actual size and grandeur to these objects, which before this I have only been able to see in pictures. Also, working at Sala 1 has helped me to start to build the skills I will need to work in larger museums. So far, I have been helping with social media and translating Italian into English, with the help of Google translate. For now, I am just trying to soak in all the culture and everything I can learn.
Click here to learn more about the Arcadia in Rome program!
“Not all classrooms have four walls.” -Unknown
William H. Thompson Scholars Learning Community 