"My first semester abroad was much harder than this semester. I think some of that can be attributed to missing the football season. So much of the fall was spent thinking of home and struggling with those feelings. After the fall semesters, I had a break month, where I traveled to something like 18 cities in 29 days. It was ridiculous, I know. But in that span of time, it kind of hit me: I can learn to make any place my home. It might not always be easy or fast, but I am capable of it.
"Now that my spring semester in Rome is coming to a close, I will admit I'm ready to see America again. This is partly because I haven't actually been home for over a year, since I also worked abroad last summer. Whether it's Notre Dame or my hometown, I've always felt that a place I call 'home' cares about me. Notre Dame is welcoming and warm. You truly feel that the community cares about you and your well-being. It's an important, huge, and hard transition to come to a city where that isn't true. In a huge population, everyone has a life to live, and not everyone is interested in your life and story. It's hard. But it's a growing experience, and I say that with confidence.
"I only actually visited the Colosseum this semester, and I've been here for more than half a year! I finally decided to immerse myself fully. I visit an Italian coffee shop before my history class every week. There, I practice my Italian with the old man whose family runs the restaurant. He's constantly correcting me, but I'm doing it. I'm learning.
"It's hard to hear someone say this and then not get discouraged about an experience abroad. But you keep trying, and you get the hang of it, and you make memories. And it's formative: I'm very seriously considering doing graduate school or research in Europe. That's what I've taken from this experience. I can make my home anywhere, and I'd love to continue to use these skills here."