A Semester in the Eternal City

Sydney BenChaabane recounts her study abroad experience to Rome last fall, giving unique perspectives on her day-to-day while living in the eternal city.  

Read more of Sydney's adventures below:

 

 

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Ciao!

My name is Sydney BenChaabane and I recently had the life-changing experience of spending a semester abroad in one of the most iconic cities in the world—Rome. It's been an unforgettable experience, and I can't wait to give you a glimpse of what life was like for me in the Eternal City.

 

Living in the Prati Neighborhood

During my time in Rome, I called the charming neighborhood of Prati my home. Paired with other UW and AIFS students in an apartment and just a short 15-minute walk from the Vatican, Prati was an amazing blend of modern conveniences and classic Roman architecture. On my 20-minute walk to school at the AIFS Center each day, I would pass by Piazza Cavour—a beautiful, green lined with palm trees and a perfect place to get some fresh air. My favorite view, though, was my daily venture across the Tiber River, which offered a stunning view of St. Peter's Basilica in the distance. I plastered this image across all my devices as soon as I got back to the states to remind me of home. At night, my roommates and I loved going cross the street to share a big meal filled with Italian cuisine (gnocchi, pizza, etc.) and then head over to a sweet treat of gelato (pistachio was my go-to favorite). There were some parts of Italian domestic life that took some time getting used to, like hanging up clothes on racks instead of using dryers and navigating grocery shopping without fully understanding the language. These challenges allowed me to grow and learn to adapt to new situations, which is essential when immersing yourself in a new culture. I was lucky in having an amazing group of other students with me as we guided and explored our way around together. 

 

In the Classroom 

The classes I took during the semester were as much about experiencing the city as they were about learning from slideshows. During the two required faculty-led UW classes, we explored iconic sites throughout the city, such as Janiculum Hill where we witnessed the noon cannon being shot and the once prosperous port city of Ostia Antica that was now crumbled to ruins. Each student was assigned to be a guide based on the location. This way of learning is irreplaceable, as I learned more from the couple months of hands-on experience than I think I have in the entire 4 years of reading from textbooks. I also had two elective classes through AIFS: Greek and Roman Mythology and the Rise and Fall and Legacy of the Roman Empire. These classes focused on classroom lectures mixed with more field trips around Rome that were relevant to the topics being studied. Some examples of places visited include the https://www.museicapitolini.org/en, Roman Forum, and Colosseum. The formats of these classes gave me confidence in navigating Rome and I left feeling like I received a fantastic overall education of the city and its history. What we didn't see from classes, we saw though AIFS scheduled visits and walking tours, including inside the Vatican. Fun Fact: Friday is considered part of the weekend in Italy, so we had that day free for scheduled day trips—like Tivoli and Bologna—and personal excursions. Every day was a new adventure. 

 

Exploration

While Rome had so much to offer, my travels weren't just limited to the city. I ventured out across Italy using the train system (my favorite form of travel) and beyond that to soak in as many cultures and landscapes as possible. We had a week fall break built into October, where I spent half the time traveling to Athens, Greece for a few days with other students from my program. We shared an Airbnb and spent our days exploring famous historic sites such as the Acropolis and the Parthenon during sunset and at night we enjoyed the mouthwatering Greek cuisine and unrivaled friendly service at local restaurants. One of the most memorable things I did all semester was sign up for a one-day cruise that visited islands (including Aegina, which is known for its pistachios). It was a small group of lovely passengers that had so many great stories. I felt just like Odysseus. The other half of my break, I got to put my Roman local skills to the test. My Mom came to visit and I became her tour guide around the city. Other than on break, I did lots of traveling during the weekends. A couple friends and I went more north to Cinque Terre—a collection of five colorful villages that perch on the cliffs of the Ligurian coast—where we stayed in a hostel in Levanto and spent our free time basking in the sun at a beach in Monterosso. A group of us also had the chance to explore the wonders of southern Italy (an extra excursion in the program) at the Amalfi Coast. We wandered through the narrow streets and shops of Sorrento and took the ferry over to Capri, where we took a boar ride around the island to get a better view of the cliffs and landscapes. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we tried, the Blue Grotto was at full capacity by the time we got there, so it gave me a great reason to go back. The excursion also included a day in the ancient city of Pompeii. Walking through the ruins, I could almost hear the bustling streets of a thriving city, as well as the screams from the rain of ash of Mount Vesuvius raining down on them. It was both a sober and exciting site to visit. The last part of the trip included Naples, where we had a guided tour through the National Archeology Museum and enjoyed some famous Neapolitan pizza before heading back to Rome. Other than day trips with the school, the last place I traveled to was Tunisia, where I met up with my dad and family who reside there. I brought one of my roommates with me, so I loved having the chance to my heritage with her. We visited the shops at the medina, covered our heads and kegs to take a tour of a mosque, rode camels along the beach, and enjoyed delicious, homemade, Tunisian cuisine, such as brik and couscous. My semester aboard gave me the opportunity to not only involve myself with the rich Roman culture, but gain multiple worldwide perspectives that changed my general view drastically. 

 

Night Life 

Italian nightlife is some of the best in the world. Leisurely enjoy an Aperol Spritz at a café with friends and laugh with them all night, go to Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere to dance and watch street performers, or enjoy the exciting clubs and bar atmosphere around the city. 

 

Things I've Learned

• Take your time — in the U.S., we tend to rush through things to try to get to the next, but Italians believe in the joy of leisure. Meals are a social event that can last for hours, and work should be equal to the time off to enjoy life. Being busy for success shouldn't be your whole life. Take a second to breathe.
• Significance of History and Preservation — the Roman Empire may have fallen long ago, but there is still history in every step you take. Even with it being a huge city in the modern age, the architecture reflects an age long gone. I can't explain how endearing that was in a time filled with technology and things not meant to last. It gave me a great new appreciation for preservation.
• Appreciation of food — In the U.S., meals are used for sustenance before dashing off to another thing, but it is an event in Italy. It is about bringing people together that often consists of multiple courses and hours at a time. Food is a huge way of sharing culture. When a family welcomes you, it is often over a shared meal.