By Alyssa McCadden
My love for Italy began when I moved to Rome for my junior and senior years of high school. I attended an international school, where the city became a classroom for learning about ancient Roman ruins, Baroque architecture, and Renaissance painters. There was history to be unearthed on every street corner. I loved learning by interacting with people, trying new foods, and practicing my Italian language skills every day. I also lived in Rome in the midst of the pandemic, and because the city was quiet with very few tourists, I got to know locals and visited museums without the crowds. Despite the difficulty the pandemic caused, Rome’s unique culture and atmosphere shone through. I recently returned to Rome, and it was nostalgic to be there as a tourist instead of a resident. I spent time going back to each of my favorite places—coffee bars, my high school, Isola Tiberina for a picnic by the river, and restaurants where my family had befriended the owners. Visiting Rome renewed my desire to live and work there in the future.
This upcoming school year, I hope to study abroad at an Italian university to immerse myself more deeply in Italian culture and build upon my language skills. While studying abroad, I hope to travel to more of Italy’s diverse regions and experience their unique cultures, foods, art, architecture, and histories. I will also visit Rome and I know that I will again rediscover my love for this beautiful city.