Making memories is an important part of studying abroad; they inform your life when your journey as a student is over and they stay with you to build the foundations for future memories. Most importantly they represent the decisions you’ve made, the risks you’ve taken, the people you’ve met and the friends you’ve made. All of the memories made on the JSB Program have become core memories and serve as the foundation of who I am today and every day.

Unfortunately, we cannot travel back in time. Instead, what we can do is bring the memories with us. Upon completion of our tenth week here in Italy I have learned a lot, but most importantly I have learned how to be present in a situation and absorb the beauty that surrounds me. I have learned that being present is undoubtedly the only way to enjoy life to the fullest. Being here in Italy, I have experienced a lifetime of unforgettable memories. I have endured in great conversations that matter to me, I have helped someone at their exact moment of need, I have spent lots of quality time with precious people, I have become immersed in a foreign country that now feels like home, I have made many international incidents, I have seen places that I thought only lived in my dreams, and for these memories, I am eternally grateful.

As we return home in just two short weeks, I am reminded that what I do today will go with me. I will carry my memories around like a suitcase, and it is up to me whether my suitcase is full of vibrant memories or of what could have been. The most important things in life are not things, but experiences and memories. We only get one life. There’s no reason to waste any time forgetting it.

~Caroline Dillard

Kaitlin, the friend that convinced me to study abroad with her in Italy, and I making memories in London on a weekend trip.

“What did you learn while you studied abroad?”

This is the question that I’m expecting to hear every day once I’m home. I know my family and friends will wait with bated breath to hear the details of everything I’ve learned while being in Italy. Most will expect me to tell them about what information I’ve memorized from my lectures and field trips and will want me to recite back facts about the history of Rome. However, learning isn’t just about information, it’s about growing as a person and finding your place in the world.

First, I learned to love coffee. Call me crazy, but I hated the stuff before. The few coffees that I did have at home I made sure to load with sugar and creamers. The coffee here is AMAZING. It’s become a staple of my mornings!

Second, I learned the Italian culture. It’s a beautiful thing. Fun fact: they eat dinner at 8 (2 hours later than I usually do) and you won’t find a shop that’s open midafternoon. Dinner is considered a family affair and usually lasts 2 or 3 hours. They’re very laid back people. You’ll often find old men sitting outside coffee shops laughing and chatting away. Everyone I’ve met is super friendly! Even though they usually speak little to no English, they’re very willing to try and communicate and have a passion for learning.

Third, THE FOOD. You haven’t lived until you’ve had a gelato from Grom. The pasta and pizza is to die for. The mozzarella is like nothing you’ve ever had. Everything is fresh and phenomenal.

Finally, I learned the importance of growth. I am in no way the same person who arrived on this trip 10 weeks ago. Being away from your family and friends for 12 weeks forces you to come out of your shell and become more independent. It’s an exciting time and I’ve loved soaking up every minute of it.

Caroline Duncan

Laughing at Montre Marte

Borgo San Jacopo, Florence, Italy, October 10th, 2017

As a Hospitality major, there is much to learn from the various experiences that I have enjoyed while traveling and living abroad. I have learned far more about the tourism industry and what it takes to qualify and excel in that career than I ever could have if I was sitting in a classroom, and I have obtained a new appreciation for the hotel industry and the efforts required to stand above the rest. But most importantly, I have seen and tasted a food industry that, in my opinion, out shines the rest of the world.

While I had previously focused my major specifically on event planning, living in Italy and traveling around Europe has opened my eyes to a new passion for food and restaurant management/ownership. I have accumulated many ideas that I would love to bring home and one day make into reality. While I don’t plan to share all my ideas with you, I do hope that sharing a few of my experiences with European food will encourage and excite you to make the trip yourself to this amazing country and try the unique and exciting flavors that have inspired me and many others.

I recently traveled to Florence with my parents’ and some close friends to celebrate my parents 28^th Wedding Anniversary*. Based on my experience I highly recommend Florence be at the top of your Italian itinerary. The art is inspiring, the streets and piazzas are beautiful, and the shopping just might lessen the weight of your wallet. However, since this is about food please keep in mind that just like in the States, good food comes in all different settings and prices here.

In my case, since we were celebrating a very special day, we went for elegant and uniqueness at Borgo San Jacopo. Perched on the Arno with an amazing view of the Ponte Vecchio, this restaurant is known for their tasting menus that allow you to sample some of the finest Italian dishes “enhanced with innovative twists”. The restaurant encourages their guests to

“savour the freshness and utter quality of the produce and ingredients hand-selected by the chef, Peter Brunel, himself before being skillfully prepared and presented in inventive dishes.”

What an amazing experience this was. The menu offered three specific category choices, each with seven, petite, carefully selected courses encompassing one central theme: My Tuscany, Potatoes & Potatoes, From the Garden, or you had the option to order a la carte. For an example, the Potatoes & Potatoes tasting menu is described and presented below. Each course was perfectly portioned, perfectly plated, and perfectly tasteful. Every dish had a distinct flavor I had never tasted before and I admired the chef’s attention to detail and the presentation within the plating.

While some of our big cities back home may have a tasting restaurant here and there, they do not compare to the ones over here. Italian food is so much more than pasta and pizza, trust me or you can come here to see for yourself. I promise you, if you have an adventurous palate, you won’t be disappointed and you won’t be bored. This restaurant has inspired me to bring these ideas home and one day create my own version of a unique restaurant such as this.

xx, McKenzie

*Mom & Dad, thank you for an amazing week. Thank you for sharing your special day with me; your love and dedication to each other inspires every day and I hope one day I will find what you two have. I love you both.

I am somehow already on week six of my study abroad experience and I am shocked. Everyone told me how quickly it would go by, but I honestly did not believe them because twelve weeks sounded like such a long time. But oh boy, was I wrong! My time in Italy, so far, has been unbelievable. I can truly say that I have already learned more being abroad, than a whole year’s worth of school at home. I learned how to make a fresco, cook Italian dishes, speak some survival Italian, had genuine conversations with locals, experience the nightlife, gone to countless churches, seen the Pope, and much more. I really have felt connected in the Italian culture, especially in the little town we are staying in, Ariccia.

I have also become a world traveler outside of Italy. Before coming abroad, I had not been to many places outside of the United States and the places I went I was always with my parents. It is not even halfway through the program, and I have traveled to Barcelona, Rome, and London with girls I did not know very well. I was nervous at first but now I am so confident in booking flights, hotels and traveling in unknown territory with these girls. I am much more aware of my surroundings and know how to get by, especially in stressful situations. My favorite place that I have been to so far was London. London was very pretty and had so many parts to it we obviously did not get to see everything we wanted to see in one weekend, but the places we did go to were unbelievable.

Overall, I have had the best time so far and I cannot believe it is almost halfway over. It makes me sad thinking about going home. I have made great friendships, seen amazing places and eaten outstanding food. I never would have thought I was going to have a place where I am comfortable calling home, so far away from America. Please do not make me leave!

XO, Sutton

Caroline Hargreaves and I on our last day in London!