Continuing with my study abroad theme for September, I’m going to get a little more personal. Everyone’s education abroad is different and unique, but I hope that by giving you a glimpse into my experience, I can depict how amazing and enriching an opportunity like this is.

Before leaving home, I was nervous, with a little excitement on the side. I was flying across the Atlantic alone for the first time to meet with my group in Frankfurt. Pro Tip: leave more than an hour layover in international cities. Having about 45 minutes to go through both security and customs, find my gate, repack my carryon, and board my next flight was enough for my nerves, thank you very much. Of course, being a silly paranoid human, everything ran smoothly, and I began to relax and settle in.

We landed in Bologna bright and early in the morning. I had been to Italy once before and welcomed seeing the gold fields of central Italy upon touch down. However, as soon as the group reorganized, they threw groups of 4 in a taxi and said go find your new apartment. Perfect, because not a single person in our car spoke Italian.

For anyone unfamiliar with European apartment buildings, being on the third floor really means fourth, and air conditioning isn’t exactly considered a necessity. We were all treated to a brief orientation for the first week, along with group dinners, and the first taste of the Italian language we would need to survive.

Bologna as a city, is, well, marvelous. Think of a mix between Rome, Florence, and a close knit community built around a university. Although I didn’t attend courses at the University of Bologna, one of the oldest still running in Europe, I had opportunities to get to know the city through its art and history. Everything is covered in red roofs and you can see the entire city from its iconic “due torre.” Without knowing, you’d think they look out of place, but in reality, there used to be hundreds of these towers all throughout the city before World War II. So, when you find a city, try to understand its history, I know it sounds cliché, but those little tidbits make it much easier to connect with.

As with any study abroad experience, the key word is “study.” So, yes, I actually took classes! With Dickinson’s program, I took a full course load while abroad, taking Transatlantic Relations, Italian 101, Bologna’s Art History, and Ethics and International Security. I know Bologna doesn’t sound like the hotspot for studying world stability and politics, but in reality, I completed the last two courses needed for my major while abroad. This is mostly to show that yes, when you go abroad, it’s not just traveling and fun, and there’s no reason that your major should prevent you from going.

I have to take a little time to talk about the best part of Bologna, its people. As I mentioned in an earlier article, my little gelato lady across from my apartment by far made my experience. But, there’s so many other connections to make abroad. Pro Tip: find one place, like a café or shop, that you can go to almost daily. There was a small family owned pizza shop around the corner from me, called Pizza Casa. This is a place where you could get the equivalent of a U.S. large, for about two dollars. So, as you can imagine, the place was popular with university students. My friends and I would go two to three times a week, so obviously, the cashier and her father got to know us pretty well. On my last night, on the way to the airport, I stopped in to say goodbye, and the young woman who always cashed us out, waved, ran in the back, shuffled a bit, and came back out with a little sample hieroglyphic page and a wooden necklace that she had bought. This was obviously from the new Egyptian exhibit that had begun the week I left, and I doubt the meant the gift for me. But that little act of kindness, and the reliable familiarity of seeing the same people every week, even without speaking the same language, is what makes going abroad worth it.

So, I’m sure many of you are thinking, “But isn’t half of study abroad meant for traveling and seeing the world?” Yes, yes it is. My singular caveat is, balance the travel with getting to know your host city. Anyway, to mention a few highlights, I absolutely adored my weekends I spent wandering around Italy. My singular out of country weekend was spend in Belgium, before the Paris attacks. I will totally recommend seeing Ghent and if you can, Bruges. Upon a happy accident however, we stayed in a hostel outside of Bruges, and actually on the coast of the North Sea. Mid-October is a bit of an off-season for coastal towns, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything! Blankenberge was this charming little town with beautiful dunes contrasted with the shipping industry sprinkled along the shoreline. This goes to prove that those little accidents and spontaneous adventures are the best. The one thing I can say about traveling within Italy, is that there are so many beautiful towns and cities to experience. Hiking in Cinque Terre is definitely a must, despite their recent cutbacks. And if you can, visit the mountains in the fall or winter, they’re such an easy alternative to the Alps, but just as wonderful.

Now, the hardest thing about study abroad, is leaving. Not only are you leaving easy access to Europe or other regions, you’re leaving a new home. I will constantly feel homesick for Bologna. I will always miss wandering through the market to find the best chocolate, or the Christmas Market, or the churches. Bologna became my home for four months, and I hope your host city becomes a new home for you too.