Magic in Rome Past Review

Hello! There is a quote I love so much: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain Coming to live and study in Rome, Italy was definitely a bold move on my part and on the part of everyone involved in this program. You come into another country altogether with new customs, traditions, and values. You are far away from the comforts of home and you honestly have no idea what to expect. Despite all these fears and anticipations, Rome was definitely the adventure that I needed in my life. And now I can say that I am so happy that I “sailed away from the safe harbor” and came to study with CEA in Rome- it has without a doubt been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I have learned so so much these last few months about life, about myself, and about the world. I feel like I have grown in so many ways (nooo not from all the gelato and pasta haha) but mentally and spiritually as well. I have made countless magical memories on this experience abroad and I have made some of the most inspiring and enduring friendships as well. CEA made this experience that much better- they took what is already an awesome experience and made it into an extraordinary one. I can seriously say that CEA takes care of us in every way and the staff at CEA has become our family here in Rome. I fell in love with everyone! Seeing Michela, Andrea, Chiara, Caterina and Ana at CEA always made my day and made me feel like I was home. I am going to miss them so much! I don’t think they even know what an impact they’ve had on me and I just hope I can properly express my gratitude for being such good friends to me. At CEA they also take every effort to take care of us! I missed the first week of orientation due to a hurricane that delayed my flight, but CEA took care of everything. Caterina came to pick me up and catch me up on everything that I had missed. I felt such a sense of comfort from the moment I met Caterina and she remained a true friend and adviser for the rest of the semester. CEA also organizes a ton of events to make it so all the students that participate in the CEA program can meet. We had a pizza and gelato crawl, trips to museums and popular attractions, a special dinner with an opera singer, a wine harvest trip and a dazzling weekend trip to Campagna (Pompei, Capri and Sorrento) and more. These organized events were an amazing way for us to get to know each other- so much so that we all became one big family here in Rome. I am going to miss everyone so much! All in all, I am so incredibly happy that I decided to come to Rome with CEA. I really couldn’t have imagined a better program or a better situation. I am so grateful to CEA for making this one of the best experiences of my life.