Adventuring Through Rome: My Week Studying Abroad as a Grad Student  

I wasn’t quite sure that I wanted to study abroad. I had never traveled alone and was deathly afraid of airplanes. In a way, I went because of that fear, not despite it. Either hop on that six-hour flight or admit that I chickened out. There was no third option. I decided to go for it. After all, I needed to get out of the house—and my comfort zone. 

After boarding and taking my seat, I brought out some reading material that I hoped would help pass the time: Superman: Up in the Sky. I didn’t know anything about the book, but I had been told that it was must-read. What I didn’t realize was that it would set the tone for my entire trip. 

Up in the Sky tells the story of Superman rescuing an orphan girl who has been kidnapped by aliens. During his journey, he faces a series of challenges that all have three things in common. First, he’s always completely outclassed. Second, each challenge is dangerous, with failure being costly. Third, and most important, is that in each situation, Superman has the option to give up and go home. It’s just one girl. She doesn’t have a family to grieve her loss. He can go home without harming himself or his reputation. Do you know what Superman does? He doesn’t give up, and he wins every time. 

The story closes with our hero finally finding the little girl. As he prepares to leave, she asks him if the trip back will be safe. He looks her in the eye and says: 

“No, it’s not safe. And no, you won’t get hurt.” 

This story taught me that life isn’t always safe, and success isn’t always likely. Sometimes things are difficult. But you reach the finish line anyway, because you said you would. A few hours and one long nap later, I landed in Rome, Italy, determined to say “yes” at every opportunity. 

Days 1 and 2: All Roads Lead to Rome 

After connecting with some classmates at the airport, I arrived at the St. John’s University Rome location, settled in, and attended orientation. The next morning was our first “free” day. In other words, it was a day to go out and experience as much as possible. One nice thing about Rome is that it’s very walkable—and boy, did I walk. In that one day, I scaled the Spanish Steps, saw Castel Sant’Angelo,  Piazza Navona, and anything I could stumble on along the way. I returned to grab gelato with some of my classmates and went to bed with sore feet, but otherwise satisfied.  

Day 3: Hands-on Cybersecurity Classwork  

With the weekend behind us, it was time to attend some classes. Monday began with a friendly guided tour through... the dark web. No, seriously, we hit the ground running with that one. The lesson taught us how to safely use Tor Browser to search the dark web. I had heard about the dark web years ago, but my apprehension always outweighed my curiosity. But remember, I vowed not to back down from anything, lest I disappoint myself or Superman. So, I (cautiously) dove into the netherworld of the internet and got a pretty good look at the other side of the curtain. It took minutes to find out where stolen credit card numbers and gift card scammers collect are being flipped. I don’t think I’ll be doing any shopping there, but it was extremely interesting and insightful. 

Speaking of going someplace we usually wouldn’t, we got a very special tour of the Swiss Guard barracks! Our tour guide was fantastic. He even let me take a photo. 

Day 4: Roman Landmarks and an Insightful Guest Speaker 

The next day was the walking tour of the city center. Once again, we got lucky with a great guide. Rome has a lot of history, and as I mentioned before, it’s quite walkable. It’s worth having someone with you explain what you’re seeing and why it’s so important. For example, you know those big Egyptian pillars located around Rome? They’re called obelisks. They were “liberated” from an Egyptian temple and placed at points of interest in Rome. The idea was that a traveler could see an obelisk on the horizon and wander toward it to see something of value. 

Now here’s the interesting part: Egyptians designed obelisks to point upward toward the sun god Ra. The Romans didn’t practice that religion, so they censored the obelisks by placing a golden cross on top. Now, the implication is that they point toward heaven. But seriously, Rome’s city planning was—and still is—brilliant. You get your bearings in a day or two. 

We return to the classroom, and it’s time for the second activity of the day: an American  officer from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stationed in Rome came to speak to us. The presentation was excellent, but I realized that a future in the FBI might not be in the cards for me. That was a little disheartening, but if I had not discovered it wasn’t a good fit, I might have overlooked something else. Overall, all learning is good. 

Days 5 and 6: Visiting Link University and Exploring the Vatican 

The following two days were spent attending guest lectures at Link University. They were more interactive than your typical lectures; perhaps it would be more accurate to call them “talks.” Whatever they were, I enjoyed them immensely. Frankly, I think I had too much fun debating with the various researchers who came to speak. After the second visit, we went to GAMM, the video game museum, which I naturally enjoyed.  

It’s time for the grand finale: Vatican City! I had been to the Vatican Museum once before, but at the time, I was exhausted from a long flight and hauling luggage. This was a much more relaxed experience. On the way out, I grabbed two things from the gift shop: a golden rosary marked “Jubilee” and a small doll of a character named Luce. Let me explain: Every 25 years, a special event called the Jubilee Pilgrimage occurs in Rome. It’s a big deal! People pilgrimage to four holy sites and pass through four special doors to complete the pilgrimage. Luce, the event’s official mascot, is one such pilgrim. 

Afterward, we met in St. Peter’s Square to visit the Vatican Radio Museum. This was a real treat. We went behind St. Peter’s Basilica to a spot not open to the public. The crowds of tourists were gone, and everything was peaceful. The Vatican Radio Museum is a hidden gem. It’s full of radio and audio equipment used throughout history. We even got to see some of the equipment operate! After leaving, we were given a special surprise. Our tour guide let us enter St. Peter’s Basilica through the back door, skipping the line. 

There’s something I haven’t mentioned before. My late grandmother loved Michelangelo’s Pieta. She had a six-inch-tall marble replica on display in her house. When she passed away in 2017, it was the one thing I held onto as a keepsake. Of all the art in Rome, all the priceless artifacts and legendary masterpieces, there was only one I needed to see: the big version of Grandma’s statue. It took some hunting, but I found it! There it was: standing at about 10 times the height of my statue. I have to say, it didn’t disappoint. It’s a beautiful piece, even amongst the Vatican’s incredible collection. 

Tomorrow will be my final day in Rome, and I have resolved to complete the entire pilgrimage. 

Day 7: Completing the Pilgrimage 

Saturday morning was my final day of adventuring. My one goal was to complete the Jubilee pilgrimage. I put the rosary in my bag and Luce in my shirt pocket and went out. The Basilicas were really just checkpoints. The real adventure is the journey between them. Each one is pretty far apart, so I found myself getting up close and personal to Rome. Each Basilica has an entirely different feel. No two look the same. For good measure, I even revisited St. Peter’s, so I could say I ran the whole gauntlet in one day. And boy, did it take all day.  

Down on the Ground 

Sunday came, so I cleared out my room and took a cab to the airport. All good things must come to an end, as they say. The flight went well, and I got home safely. After settling back in, I was exhausted, but had one last thing to do. Remember that rosary that I purchased at the Vatican? It wasn’t for me. You see, my mom wanted to come, but she ultimately didn’t. She said it was because of an injured foot, but I knew that wasn’t the real reason. In truth, she knew that traveling alone would be an important milestone for me. She was right, but I still missed her, so I carried the rosary to each holy site and brought it back for her, so that she could join me in spirit.  

If I had any parting advice, it would be to let yourself get lost. Don’t be afraid to go exploring and stray from the plan. There’s a lot to find outside of your comfort zone, but you must be willing to venture out.