![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/center-for-global-education\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/79\/2026\/04\/Fleming-Pic-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhen deciding to Study Abroad I was embarking on a whole new experience like I never have before. In the past I have traveled without my parents but the longest I have ever been away from my family was for 2 weeks for a Mexico trip to Guadalajara and Mexico City. Other than that, in college I lived at home with my parents and would commute to school. Growing up I also always lived in the same house and never moved schools so I have long term friendships that started in elementary or middle school that are still my closest friends today. Having that in mind, deciding to study abroad and experience so many new things at once definitely sounded crazy but was something that I was ready to take on. I was going somewhere that I had only been once for a day, where I don\u2019t speak the language, where I don\u2019t know anybody, and living away from my parents with roommates for the first time. All of this to say there were a lot of new experiences for me to speak to when I came home.<\/p>\n
Rome wasn\u2019t necessarily my first choice for a study abroad homebase, it was actually Florence. The first time I went to Florence I fell in love with the city and knew I would eventually return in some capacity. However, once it came time to apply, Florence didn\u2019t offer as many upper division classes for my major as I needed for being a Senior. This was disappointing for me at the time and forced me to pivot my expectations and plan. I then was left to decide between Madrid or Rome. There were many pros and cons with each but ultimately, spoiler alert, I picked Rome! When deciding against Madrid I chose the Temple Rome program specifically because the housing was closer to school, course load was lighter, and I would be able to register for classes before I arrived. It didn\u2019t take long for me to love Rome as a city for all it has to offer both good and bad. I had only been to Rome once before very briefly as a port stop on a cruise and essentially got the crash course on the city and all its main tourist attractions. Even then I knew that there was still so much to discover and I didn\u2019t even scratch the surface yet.<\/p>\n
Learning Italian was another challenge I was ready to take on. Initially one pro I had for Madrid was that there would be much less of a language barrier since I already speak Spanish. I say much less instead of saying there\u2019s no language barrier because there are still many words and phrases that are used differently in Spain that I wouldn\u2019t understand. However, then I realized that something I looked forward to gaining out of a study abroad experience would be picking up a new language so Italian it is! Through the Temple Rome program it is required to take Italian if you haven\u2019t already. Italian became one of my favorite classes as my professor was very engaging and wasted no time to have us start speaking Italian starting from the very first day of class and every day after that. Knowing Spanish, in some ways made it easier in terms of comprehension and pronunciation, however for grammar and spelling Italian was a bit of a challenge at times. Ultimately, I am grateful that those of us in the program were able to learn together and help each other to improve.<\/p>\n
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Lastly, making friends abroad. This was something that was scary at first but also very exciting to me. In my program you did not meet your roommates or know anything about them until you walked in your apartment the first day which sounded crazy and nerve wracking to me. However, eventually I just accepted the unknown and was looking forward to seeing who I would be meeting. I ended up with 7 other roommates and so many amazing friends. I was initially scared at the thought of having 7 other roommates when I\u2019ve only ever lived with my parents and sister at most. The reality is, although we had such different personalities and outlooks on life, we all clicked and everything worked out better than I could have ever imagined! Even towards the end of my program when my best friends from home came to visit it was so interesting having people I have known forever and others I had relatively just met all together and bonding, but I loved it. Outside of my roommates, I was able to meet so many other amazing people in my program and enjoy our time together to the fullest not wanting it to end and reminiscing before it was even fully over. I enjoyed having such a diverse group of people around me of different cultures, personalities, lifestyles, majors, and overall ways of moving through life.<\/p>\n
Looking back, it\u2019s hard to put into words just how much this experience has changed me. What once felt intimidating\u2014being far from home, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, navigating a new language\u2014slowly became a source of confidence and excitement. Rome taught me how to embrace uncertainty, to find comfort in discomfort, and to open myself up to people and experiences I never would have encountered otherwise. The city gave me more than just beautiful memories; it gave me a new sense of independence, a deeper appreciation for connection, and a reminder that some of the best things in life come from the choices that scare you the most. Leaving was bittersweet, but I know I\u2019m taking a part of Rome with me through the friendships, the lessons, the version of myself that I discovered along the way and lots and lots of recommendations and travel tips for anyone going to Italy!<\/p>\n
So with that I say, arrivederci Roma!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Brittany Fleming <\/strong><\/p>\n Major: Business Administration – Marketing <\/strong><\/p>\n Fall 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n Temple University Rome<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When deciding to Study Abroad I was embarking on a whole new experience like I never have before. In the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5509,"featured_media":2016,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education-abroad"],"yoast_head":"\n