It's almost been a month since I landed in Rome. The experience so far has been unbelievable. I honestly learn/see something new everyday. While I do miss some of the conveniences we have in the US, and the school services that NU provides, I think it's great learning about another country's culture. I'm seeing a unique aspect of the culture by having the opportunity to live in this city and experience it first hand. I feel I am really benefiting from what Italy has to offer by studying here. I am lucky and blessed to have this opportunity.

School hasn't been too bad. I'm finally getting a routine going and really adjusting to how other people live here. Rome almost has two sides to it. Life in the morning is full with people running errands, doing their grocery shopping at the many farmers' markets, or socializing with friends at a cafe. However, the bustle is different. It has a certain calm to it. People seem relaxed, and friendly with each other, so it feels like a very small community. Nightlife is a different story. People seem to come out of the woodworks to experience the nightlife here. Restaurants and bars are always busy, and the city's many piazzas (fountain squares) are full of people hanging out, entertained by various street performers. The popular streets of Via Del Corso and Via Condotti, lit up by the streets' retail stores, are filled with tourists and locals alike. The nightlife reminds me of the flow of big cities in the US. I find it very unique seeing how this city operates. The quieter, slower, small town-like feel of the day, and the urban hustle and bustle of the evenings.

With September passing, that leaves me with roughly two and a half weeks for this adventure abroad. Time has gone by quickly and I feel like it's going to go by even faster once I start going away for the weekends to visit other cities. All I can do is let it all soak in and appreciate everything that goes on around me.

Posted by Martin Lenon at 4:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi guys! Buongiorno from Roma. The past couple of months have been hectic. My summer was packed with NYC life. The Museums, the great food, the subway, the fast pace, the people! It was a great time and I now consider it as a place for me after graduation. Then, I spent some time with my family in Ohio, then back to Boston to finish packing/cleaning/getting ready for my study abroad.

So I'm finally here! I arrived last Wednesday and it's been a blast so far. It's a pretty laid back lifestyle in Rome. They have their "siestas" where businesses close mid-afternoon and the city practically shuts off. The people have been friendly and the food has been delicious. Classes started this past Monday, so I'm finally learning more Italian, which is very helpful because I can begin to communicate properly. Our host school, American University of Rome (AUR), has done a terrific job so far with setting up mini excursions for us to the beach, a local lounge, and a walking tour to the Colosseum. I'll post pictures up once I upload them from my camera.

A little bit about the process of studying abroad: My program was done through the College of Business Administration (CBA) at Northeastern. CBA's study abroad program was set up only recently and my group is one of the first to go to AUR. It's a terrific program because it allows students to take business courses while abroad. It's also convenient because, as a CBA student, I dealt directly with the coordinator who was very helpful and knowledgeable on my degree requirements and which courses were transferrable back to NU. If you're a business student, I highly suggest going through the CBA's program if you want to study abroad. It's very convenient knowing you don't have to use all your open electives in order to study abroad. They also have pre-approved courses, so you don't have to keep going back and forth with your advisor. The other alternative is to go through the traditional study abroad process, but the deadline is much earlier in the year and not every school allows you to take business courses. If you have any questions about study abroad, I can definitely try to answer some questions, or send you the right way.

More updates from Rome soon! Ciao!

Posted by Martin Lenon at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)