On Tuesday, February 18, our class took a cooking class at a local restaurant. This was one of the highlights of my week, and I had such a great time rolling out ravioli, making tiramisu, and stuffing zucchini flowers with my friends. Of all the things that have happened this week, I am choosing to write about this night because it made me homesick (in the best way possible). My grandmother is 100% Italian, so making and eating fresh pasta has always been a huge part of my life. It was so heartwarming to make this connection from back home and be able to get closer with my friends by sharing this experience. In my family, food is the way to the heart, and gathering around the table together is how we stay connected. I cherish the times like these back home; doing this abroad made me realize how special my small family traditions are and how easily new ones can be made. My friends and I will all be living together next year, and we promised each other to dedicate one of the nights of the week to pasta making for dinner.
My least favorite thing that happened this week was a storm that started during one of my on-site classes. We were at the Roman Forum in the heart of the city when it began to downpour rain and hail. Having my umbrella and rain jacket on, I couldn’t help but be upset that I wasn’t experiencing the ancient ruins like I was meant to. While I do well with preparing and getting ready for anything that may happen, I don’t do well when things actually do occur. For the rest of the night I was in a sour mood and couldn’t wait to get out of the city and into dry clothes. I hope that I will be able to revisit the forum on a sunnier afternoon. Reflecting on this, I know that I need to remember that I am in Rome, and the weather and things that I can’t control shouldn’t bother me so much.
Katherine's Study Abroad Experience 2020 