study abroad experience, however, I am here to tell anyone who is interested that despite whatever hardships they may face when considering this decision, may they be financial, emotional, or any other, if there is any possible way to get abroad, do whatever can be done to do it. I, myself, had these same questions running through my head on a daily basis in the months leading up to my study abroad experience, but looking back on my semester abroad there is not a chance I would have missed out on the opportunity to study architecture in Italy and the surrounding countries for anything in the world. The lessons I learned about not only architecture, but also life in general, while studying abroad are some which I do not can be achieved in many other ways.
Since my return to the continental United States many have asked me questions such as, “You did so much traveling over there, did you actually do any school work?” Well, in fact, that may be the most satisfying part about studying abroad. For four consecutive semesters I sat in a lecture hall on Kent campus learning all about and being tested on the history of architecture, starting with the times even well before the Egyptians, passing through periods such as the Greek and Roman Empires, and ending with the modern skyscrapers of
America. In those four semesters I gained a phenomenal base knowledge about those buildings and the methods used to construct them. But for an aspiring architect who truly enjoys the field there is nothing comparable to walking through the streets of Rome and seeing the Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, and
the Roman Forum, or walking through Barcelona viewing all the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi, such as Park Guell, Casa Mila, Casa Batlo, and Sagrada Familia, or studying an uncountable number of cathedrals in parts of the world such as Florence, Venice, Milan, Paris, and many more. Seeing these structures in person gives the student such a greater understanding of the architecture and
was by far the most exciting and influential portion of studying abroad for myself.
But clearly studying abroad is for more people than just those studying architecture, and that is because it teaches life lessons about growing up and the cultures of the world. Yes, we all think that while we are living on our own on a college campus, or nearby in an apartment, that we are finally
independent. It was not until I was standing in the streets of Florence with nothing but a single suitcase and a few friends, everyone around me speaking a language I could not even hope to understand, and knowing my parents were no longer just a phone call away if something happened, however, that I realized I
was truly on my own. While that may sound difficult to some, it forces the individual to learn to be independent, to be confident in themselves, and to realize not only can someone survive this experience, but they thrive in it. This sort of forced learning experience was indeed difficult at first, but it did not take me long at all to embrace it. My parents have told me since arriving home that I left a boy and came back a man, and I can not help but agree. Personally, I am a much more confident individual who has learned to figure everything out for myself and not rely on others so much. I have become used to living a lifestyle in which I make my own decisions, and I have learned how to learn from the inevitable mistakes that sometimes come with that responsibility. And I have learned how to become a much more accepting individual of those who are not necessarily exactly like me in a number of
ways, this as a result of experiencing the great number of various cultures I did while studying abroad. As mentioned before, these are not the types of things we can learn as easily or rapidly in any other way.
While studying abroad I resided in Florence, climbed the hilltop town of Assisi, spent four days saying, “When in Rome,” while in Rome, trudged through the snow and cold temperatures in Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, got rained on in Siena, walked on water in Venice, thought about how life was “So Good” because I was Barcelona bound, cliff jumped into the Mediterranean Sea off of
the Amalfi Coast, sipped limoncello on the island of Capri, shopped in Milan, spent four days on the Adriatic Sea island hopping and experiencing Croatia, visited the town of Mostar, Bosnia and watched my friend join their divers club by bridge jumping seventy feet into the river below, and saw the most beautiful natural creation I have to date at Krka National Park. In my incredible four and a half months abroad I visited seven countries and over twenty cities, and while not every traveling experience was perfect there is no way I would change a single thing about any of them. And that proves maybe the most useful lesson I learned in my study abroad experience: Whether for good or for bad, every experience in life has meaning and can be enjoyed or learned from, so embrace them and never look back except to rejoice about what has occurred. There is so
much in this world for us to see, to celebrate and to learn from.
Below you will find my favorite photos that I took throughout my entire study abroad experience, in no particular order for once. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
