13 Things That Happen After You Study Abroad

If anybody knows me at all, you know that I cannot stop talking about the amazing three months I spent studying abroad in Rome, Italy. After almost two months of being back in America, I find myself daydreaming about drinking wine in piazzas, eating copious amounts of delicious carbs and having the funnest nights of my life with amazing friends. If you’re the lucky one, you know exactly what I am talking about. If you aren’t, I’ll let you in on a little secret: here is exactly what happens after you return home from studying abroad in Rome. 

 

Forget the pregames with cheap Burnetts in a crappy college apartment. Imagine buying a bottle of Pinot under 5 euros, getting a group of friends and going to Piazza Trilussa before the bars. The wine is good, the company is great, and the views are even better. 

 

Think about the best pizza you have ever tasted. Multiply that by a hundred. And again by a thousand. And that is how good Dar pizza is. 

Trastevere, or Trast for short, is what I like to call the gateway to heaven. This little but very fun neighborhood along the Tiber River houses some of the best food, best places to go out, and some of my fondest memories. 

Luckily for me, I happened to be studying abroad at the same time as the Starling birds migration — long story short, thousands flocked the sky every night at dusk and, while cool to look at, the chirping and endless spewing of bird poop was not the best thing that happened abroad. Although, getting pooped on only meant good luck and that you were in for a good night.

If you go to Rome and skip the Drunken Ship, you aren’t doing Rome right. “The Ship” isn’t just the funnest place in my opinion, but playing beer pong against Italians is the only way I like to play beer pong now. I was such a regular there that you can actually find my picture on the tip jar. I made it, Mom! 

After jet setting every weekend to a different country, you realize over-packing isn’t an option. You’re a pro at planning outfits and bringing only the necessities. 

 

If you didn’t come back with your jeans fitting a little bit tighter after studying abroad, you didn’t do it right. Eat the pasta. Eat the gelato. Eat it everyday, people!

 

Going through your album is a painful experience, but you can’t help but relive the amazing moments you had. My Instagram feed looks as if I never left. It’s sad, really sad. 

 

The sad thing about coming home from abroad is watching other people relive the amazing time you had. You replay Snapchat stories over and over and cover people’s Instagram photos with your jealous comments.

 

These friends are the ones you have your fondest memories with. From endless nights of stuffing your face with pizza and pasta, laughing with each other from morning til night, to traveling and experiencing the most beautiful places on earth together, the bond you share with them is unlike any other. 

 

If you enjoy this shot of choice for Italians, you deserve an award. Italians are fond of giving free shots of Limoncello after dinner and the only way you could get me to drink is if I lost at “odds”. 

 

I’m still waiting to break the habit of Italian sayings. Waiter brings me water? Grazie. Walking out of Walgreens? Ciao!  

 

The days of hang drying every item of clothing are gone! Although not having to endure this pesky task is victory in my book, I would trade normal American laundry to be back in the greatest place on earth.

 

Anytime anybody asks me how abroad was, which is about 20 times a day, I will say it was the best three months of my life. This list could go on and on, but you get the point how unique and amazing the experience of studying abroad in Rome is.