Autumn

The changing of seasons is one of the reasons I am thankful to be from the Midwest City of Chicago. Winter brings the holiday cheer, spring offers fresh hope, summer warms everyone, and then there is autumn-the season of change.

Since I have lived in Southern California for the past three years for school, I have missed the fall season so much. I took the crisp air, apple picking, colored trees, and falling leaves for granted. Being abroad in Rome, I had no idea what to expect of the weather during this season.

Well for starters, I have experienced the hottest climate of my life. From August through November I have been able to still wear shorts, sandals, or even a sundress. The other day it was pouring rain, and I was ecstatic to be using an umbrella while wearing a raincoat and boots. But, by the end of day, the sun was out, and baking all under its rays. The climate in Rome has been consistently warm for the past three months. But, I realized something marvelous about the weather.

Even though it may be hot here, the leaves may not change, or maybe I can’t find a pumpkin pie at the supermarket, one thing is for sure. Autumn is still in the air, for change is always consistent.

Change is scary, vulnerable, and sometimes life altering. The study abroad experience is a drastic change. One moves for at least a four-month period of time to live in a foreign country. There are many reasons a student chooses to study abroad. The motives can vary drastically. Some see it as a season of European travel, while others desire to stay in one city and long to capture every aspect of it. I chose Rome because I saw a rich cultural opportunity beneath it, one that would be rewarding for the rest of my life. Italy is where my mother’s family is from, and therefore I saw it also as a chance to learn the language and understand more of my cultural heritage. It’s a personal choice.

No matter where one studies, what one’s major is, or whom one comes with. The experience is personally rewarding, challenging, and constantly shifting. Thus far, I have encountered autumn within myself. Despite the weather, I have been living a season of change.

Living with people I have never met in my senior year of college is strange; but I have learned in a deeper way that friendships can be formed among a group who come from different backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives. Living in an ancient city filled with religious relics, rich history, and lasting architecture has taught me to appreciate how the world has changed through time. Living in a place where the Italian language surrounds me, has stretched me and shown me new aspects of communication. Lastly, living in a foreign culture where time is not of the essence has revealed a new way of living in the moment.

For me, studying in Rome has not been a season of discovering who I am. Rather, it has been one of learning to appreciate new perspectives, one of growth in my personal beliefs, and finally, one of choosing to embrace autumn.