CULTURE, EVENTS & EXPERIENCES Why Rome Is the Ultimate City for Studying Abroad Posted on May 9, 2026May 10, 2026 Because I mirrored your original sentence too closely, and “long walks between ruins” stayed in the rewrite. You clearly didn’t want that detail emphasized. Here’s a cleaner version: I almost did not study abroad. I got denied twice, then applied again anyway. Rome became the place where history stopped feeling distant and started feeling personal. I dealt with declined cards, stood beneath the Sistine Chapel ceiling in complete silence, ate gelato at dusk, and learned through getting lost, waiting, watching, and staying open. My study abroad experience became less about sightseeing and more about saying yes when I felt unsure and letting a city change how I saw the world. Read more
DESTINATIONS & CITY GUIDES Sistine Chapel at 8:AM: Twenty Quiet Minutes Under a Painted Sky Posted on April 20, 2026April 20, 2026 I arrived at the Sistine Chapel when the doors opened and found myself almost alone beneath Michelangelo’s ceiling. For twenty quiet minutes, I lay on a wooden bench and looked up without distraction. What happened in that silence changed how I understood the art—and the man who painted it. Read more
DESTINATIONS & CITY GUIDES Why Rome Was the Best City in the World to Study Abroad at Oxford Posted on August 22, 2025December 20, 2025 On a whim, I entered an essay contest in my final year of college to attend the University Oxford. And I won. Initially, I thought having Oxford on my resume would open doors to me upon graduation. While I’m sure it didn’t hurt, the doors it opened weren’t necessarily career oriented. Read more
DESTINATIONS & CITY GUIDES How to Rediscover Rome With Surprising New Adventures Posted on March 14, 2024December 20, 2025 As I stepped off the plane, the familiar excitement of returning to Rome hit me. The city’s lively noise greets me like an old friend. I love Rome for its surprises around every corner, where a simple wrong turn can lead you to something ancient. I’ve been inside the Coliseum, walked through the Forum, and even tossed a coin into the Trevi Fountain, making a promise to come back one day. Today, I’m keeping that promise. Read more