I woke up this morning with the sudden realization that my trip to Rome was coming to a close. Reflecting on the last 27 days, I realized that studying abroad has given me a newfound global perspective on history, religion and, most of all, myself.
On this trip I also discovered that the more I began to understand the world around me, the more questions I had. For me, this trip became a class in which students new to adulthood could realize both the significance of their actions and the cause-and-effect nature of our history.
Every day in Rome offered a new opportunity to take advantage of. With class from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the afternoons were ours for site visits, exploration and eating as much pasta as humanly possible. We hurried across cobblestone streets and through museum hallways, chasing down gelato shops and historical moments, taking in all we could.
Some of our favorite visits were the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Accademia Gallery and the Roman Forum. Yet among these typical tourist attractions we also discovered that the small, intimate moments were what made the trip special. Moments as simple as listening to an outdoor musician, quietly walking around the park or seeing the city from above kept everyone humble.
Although we spent most of our time in Rome, our weekend trips to Florence, Assisi and Sienna gave us a different look at Italia. In Assisi, the streets were quiet and subdued, silent save for a dog’s bark or the chatter of passing students. Considered the “Jerusalem of Italy,” Assisi was definitely a holy place with an air of mysticism and solitude.
Conversely, Florence was boisterous and bustling, filled with the renaissance and gothic artwork of days old. We saw all of the classics from artists like Bernini, Raphael, Botticelli and DaVinci, but it was Michelangelo’s David that blew me away. The sculpture stood tall and impressive in the middle of the Accademia Gallery, glowing softly in the natural light. This statue, one of my favorite pieces of art, left me pensive and full of wonder.
This experience overcame many of us over the course of the last month, particularly with our visit to the Vatican Secret Archives. Very few people get to visit this massive archive each year, and our class was lucky enough to get a tour.
While inside, we saw Henry VIII’s request for a divorce, the room containing the document confirming Martin Luther’s excommunication and a plethora of other binders filled with history waiting to be uncovered. The history major in me could hardly contain myself.
My J-Term abroad flew by in a fit of monuments and historic artifacts. Between studying theology and spending upwards of 80 percent of our time together, the class became a close group of friends. By looking at timeless works of art and studying theology next door to Vatican City, the class discovered the history of Christianity and its impact on the world today.
Everyone who came on this trip discovered something about themselves, and as my classmate Valerie Brukhis reflected on the month she told me, “Before I left for Italy I thought I would go abroad and figure everything out. Well, I still don’t have everything figured out, but I’m OK with that now. I finally realized I don’t need to know exactly where I’m going to enjoy the process of getting there.”
As our class of 28 returns home to Minnesota, I hope we all have a fresh way of looking at the world and embrace the opportunity to continue to learn and grow.
Whitney Oachs can be reached at oach5325@stthomas.edu.