When I was a freshman in college, I had an opportunity to study abroad in Rome, Italy. Spending five weeks in Rome that summer was one of the smartest things I ever did in my young life. I met 15 exceptional and friendly students who all had the urge to learn with a keen sense of curiosity. The overall program was indeed quite expensive , however, the experience and education I got out of it was priceless. I especially enjoyed my stay in Rome because of my wonderful classmates, I daresay they had a profound impact in my life. Aside from the all the fun excursions, I also obtained a great knowledge of structural and architectural concepts and analysis. The program was very lucky to have Professor Pasquale from UCSD lead it. He really knew his stuff and cared for his students’ education.

Rome is a very hot city, humid as well, but I came to appreciate the hot weather; it was what kept me awake most of the time! I really enjoyed the night life there. Rome is known as the Eternal City for a reason; it never sleeps! My typical weekend was very productive. I would explore the city, do some grocery shopping, or try a new gelato flavor! What made Rome so special to me was the fact that I got to experience so many beautiful and sight-wondering places. It was my first time abroad ever since I came to USA (so you could only imagine how touristy I was). I bought my running shoes and initially intended to run once in a while so I would not get fat. To my surprise I found myself running at least once a day! Every day I would wake up at 7 in the morning and purposely got myself lost so I could force myself to wander around to find my way back. I knew my area within a five mile radius to the back of my head! If I go back there, it will seem like I had never left!

I recall the most memorable event in Rome was when I raced with an Italian biker to the Coliseum for about 300 meters. We did not look at each other, I saw him riding his bike and approached next to him (because I like to follow people). He knew something was up and pedaled his bike faster. That was when I figured it was on! I could have sworn he was going roughly about 20 mph and I was barely catching up with him. I felt magnificent, like a gladiator fighting for his life. It wasn’t until we got to the stadium that we looked at each other for the first time and acknowledged each other. It was an unforgettable event in my life; I did something in Rome that I do best, and I did it with style. I won the race by the way. ^_^