Take it all in – A Semester in Rome
Macy Guest is a business marketing student at Southeastern University who studied abroad with Living and Learning in Italy in the spring of 2024. She’s passionate about traveling, experiencing new cultures to expand my worldview, running, and hiking. Macy shares about her time in Rome and how she was able to take it all in.
Going into my semester abroad in Rome, one of my goals was to truly immerse myself in the local culture. I aspired to be nearly fluent in Italian, live like a local, and be able to find myself at home in a city so far from my “normal.”
I remember stepping off the plane at the Rome Fiumicino airport and being greeted by the excited Living and Learning Italy Staff. The first person I met was Cam, who I later found out was to be my resident coordinator. Cam and I immediately began talking, and I jumped straight into questions - Do you speak Italian? What is your favorite cafe in Rome? Do you have any local Italian friends? Cam graciously took on the task of tending to my elatedness, answering every question, and giving me a glimpse of what the next three months of my life would look like.
Anxious to explore a new city, I picked up several habits right away. I quickly familiarized myself with the metro system in Rome. I ran in the mornings and developed a mental map of the city. I stayed up late practicing Babbel to perfect my Italian (which, by the way, I 100% recommend). I took every opportunity and never planned to stop. I told Cam at the beginning of the semester that this was exactly my goal: to soak up every experience and live each day fully for what it had to offer. As cheesy as it may sound, this mindset is what made my study abroad experience.
A few weeks into the semester, I was exploring the city with a new friend of mine, Carlos. We had just finished up an afternoon in the park and were now looking for a cafe to sit in and a bakery to buy bread for the week. Turning the corner of a quiet street in the city, we spotted a small bar with the name Gatsby Cafe in gold letters above the door. The two of us stepped inside and were greeted by a few kind baristas standing behind the glass counter. My head spun around, taking in the ornate decor inside, and I noticed an upstairs seating area that overlooked the cafe. In my best Italian, I asked, “Possiamo sederci al piano di sopra?” To which we were ushered upstairs to sit at a neat corner table. Still nervous and slightly embarrassed when attempting to speak in Italian, I built up the courage that day to ask the two workers what their names were. This was the day I made my first connection with locals: Simona and Caroline.
Me and Samuele at his bakery, Forno Roscioli Pietro
Next up was finding a bakery. With the help of Google Maps, I discovered an Italian bakery just across the street. Carlos and I stepped inside and were immediately handed two little slices of pinsa romana by a loud and boisterous man behind the counter. I was overwhelmed by the selection of breads and pastries before me, and kept pointing at different things asking, “Cosa e questa?”, to which the man would pick up the corresponding pastry and hand it to us to try for free. After much deliberation and a few more samples, Carlos and I made our purchases and headed out the door. Once again I mustered up the courage to ask the kind man what his name was. This was the day I met Samuele.
Many days and weeks to follow in Rome looked strikingly similar to this one. After class, I would head to the neighborhood metro station. Sometimes accompanied by Carlos and sometimes alone, I would ride Linea A to Vittorio Emmanuele, and shortly after find myself sitting in my favorite red corner seat upstairs at Gatsby Café. Some days it was for homework, some days studying for exams or writing essays, other days for simply chatting for hours over a few macchiatos. I became well acquainted with Caroline and Simona, to the point where oftentimes I would walk upstairs and see my little drink already being made below. Of course, time at Gatsby was always followed by a stop at the bakery to see Samuele. We were always greeted with a smile and an excited “Hello, my friends!” as he stuffed a few extra treats into our bags.
One day about halfway through the semester, I was sitting with Cam at Gatsby. She was reflecting on my initial excitement coming into Rome and how she was so glad that I had fulfilled my dream of “living like a local” - that I had found my spot; my people. I was so grateful for Cam’s voice and encouragement throughout the semester. When I had a new experience, she soaked up my stories. When I needed help with my Italian phrases, she listened well. When I expressed my aspirations, no matter how silly or how unrealistic, she encouraged me deeply. She instilled a confidence in me that I had not ever received before. Cam was, quite literally, my cheerleader.
My favorite seat at Gatsby Café.
Though breathtaking, it was not the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, nor was it the numerous art museums that made me fall in love with Rome. As time went on, I came to realize that what I loved most was spending time at Gatsby and Samuele’s bakery with good company. I fell in love with my little red seat in the upstairs corner of Gatsby, journaling to the sound of clinking coffee cups and baristas shuffling about. I fell in love with the smell of freshly baked focaccia being handed to me by my Italian friend. I was warmed by the fact that I felt such a sense of belonging in a city and a culture that once felt so far from my “normal”.
Me and Cam, my Resident Coordinator
And just as quickly as it started, my semester abroad came to a screeching halt. Early April turned the corner, and I found myself dragging my suitcases down five flights of stairs to the courtyard of the convent. I had reluctantly said my goodbyes to my Italian friends, promising to be back someday. Next to the van taking students to the airport stood the same group that welcomed me to Rome three months earlier. I stood next to Cam in silence for a brief moment while the driver loaded my hefty luggage into the van. I looked all the way up to the fifth floor, where a few students left were waving from the balcony. Cam looked over at me with a wistful smile. “Take it all in.” is what she said with a sigh.
Take it all in. These words reverberated through my mind as I stood there, recalling just about everything from my semester abroad. Every weekend adventure to a new city or country. Every day spent at Gatsby in my favorite little seat. Every trip to the bakery with Carlos to chat with Samuele as he prepared us panini. Every metro ride and cheap Ryanair flight. Every coffee date with Cam, talking about our lives. Every hello and every goodbye.
I can say with confidence that I did in fact, take it all in.