This past semester I had the opportunity to study abroad at the American University of Rome. This opportunity allowed me to see the ancient city of Rome and to travel around Europe to experience new places. It also allowed me to meet new people and form bonds that will last a lifetime.

Having never traveled outside the United States, going overseas was daunting but quickly rewarding. I definitely had culture shock when my program first started out, but quickly learned to love my home country of Italy and love Rome. It felt like every day there was something new and interesting I could do.

My favorite part of my time abroad was being able to travel to different countries. Since Italy is so central in Europe it was very easy to take a train or a plane to most countries in Europe rather inexpensively as well. Traveling to these different places allowed me to see the world from a whole different perspective and quickly made me realize how much of a cultural difference there is from place to place in Europe, even within each individual country. In Italy alone there is so much cultural variation between the different regions.

This program also allowed me to develop new interests that I hadn't had before. Whether it was ancient art, history, or traveling this program allowed me to experience these things for the first time.

Overall, I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to study abroad during my time at Michigan State University, and I couldn't have picked a better spot than Rome. It gave me a new perspective on the world and gave me a newfound passion for travel and seeing the world. It also allowed me to meet many new great friends who I got to experience this Program with. I would like to thank Michigan State and the Office for Education Abroad for this opportunity.

Name: Andrew Acker
Status: Senior
Major: Supply Chain Management
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Program: American University of Rome