Studying Abroad Amidst a Global Pandemic

By: Mia Parker

When I envisioned my perfect college experience, studying abroad was essential.

I admired all of the people from my high school who went to university and spent time abroad. I would look at their pictures with envy, and I could not wait until that would be me.

Part of the reason I chose Temple University was because of its wonderful study abroad program. With two oversea campuses, Temple University Rome and Temple University Japan, I knew that an opportunity to go abroad would certainly come my way.

That is, until a global pandemic hit.

Last summer, My study abroad program in Taiwan was cancelled, and I thought it was almost guaranteed that this semester would be online.

Luckily, Temple University Rome did everything in its power to get a group of students across the pond for the Spring 2021 semester. With weekly COVID-19 testing, stricter visa restrictions, and many safety protocols-- I’m here with a group of about 80 other students.

When I envisioned the perfect study abroad experience, it definitely did not include a global pandemic looming in the background; however, it is still everything I hoped it would be and more.

I have made wonderful friends, explored one of the world’s greatest cities, and experienced more than I ever would back in the states.

Tourists are not permitted to enter Italy. What once was the 5th most visited country in the world is empty except for its residents. Rome’s greatest attractions are tourist-free, and I can take a picture in front of the Trevi Fountain without a soul in sight - something almost no one else will be able to get in their lifetime.

Because of COVID-19, we cannot leave Italy without breaking our Visa requirements. At first, I found this to be disheartening, but now I have grown to love it. Students in years past would travel out of the country each weekend, but I am able to call Rome home, and in the coming months I will be able to explore more of Italy than any of the classes before mine.

So far, I have traveled to other cities in Lazio (the region Rome is located in) such as Gaeta, Bracciano, and Tivoli - three towns I probably would not have visited if it were not for the pandemic. My friends and I can sit down at restaurants, go to museums, and explore all that these beautiful places have to offer.

Italians show us more hospitality than I have ever received before. Because travel has been closed off for almost a year, people are shocked to see Americans. They treat my friends and I with such kindness and sometimes even throw in free food or drinks for us when we go out to eat.

I am so grateful to be here, even with a global pandemic raging on. Cases are significantly better here than in the U.S., and people are more keen on following restrictions. I feel safer here than I would back in Philadelphia, and I am even able to attend all of my classes in-person.

It all still feels surreal. My study abroad experience is nothing like how I imagined it would be a few years ago, but it is an incredible opportunity that I will be forever grateful for.