It’s inching closer to the middle of fall quarter and many people can’t help but notice that hundreds of DU students are…gone! That’s right they are gone; studying abroad all over the world. From Australia to Chile and England to South Africa these students are getting a taste of the international experience. It’s time to catch up with one of these travelers.
Journalism major Sara Castellanos is currently studying at John Cabot University in Rome taking classes such as Italian cinema and Ethnicity and Integration in Europe. However, it’s not all work. She’s also sipping rich coffee, eating fine food and getting lost around town.
Castellanos lives just behind Vatican City in a large apartment with five people. They soak up the sun and pass chatter on their wrap-around balcony that overlooks one of Rome’s main streets. When she arrived, Castellanos would spend her free time exploring the city. She explained that although she was having fun, it was a bit difficult to get used to Italy when she first arrived.
“Everything was so unfamiliar and I don’t speak a lick of Italian, it was even harder for me to get adjusted to the culture, but that subsided and now I am appreciating every moment of this experience because I know it’ll end quickly.”
It has only been one month since Castellanos left for Italy, but that hasn’t stopped her from traveling all over the country, including trips to Naples, Sorrento, Siena and San Gimignano. She also has plans to get out of the country and see what else Europe has to offer.
Since she only has class three days a week Castellanos still spends a lot of time wandering around and exploring. She says it’s one of the most beautiful places she’s been.
“Rome is such an ancient city and it’s always awe-inspiring to see all of the historical landmarks, architecture and art.”
Castellanos feels that studying abroad is a fundamentally important and that she’s gained a larger appreciation for the world through her time in Rome and hopes that everyone who can will take advantage of this valuable program.
“It has been an eye opening experience in so many ways,” she explains “It’s such an important skill to be able to take a step back and view the U.S. from a different perspective.”
