At Northeastern, the question isn't whether or not to go abroad, it's when. I decided to participate in a dialogue this past summer, after my freshman year. Between four cities, countless espressos, endless pasta, and crowded trains, I had the experience of a lifetime. I learned how to adapt to new cultures, see the history in buildings, and even learned a little Italian.

My architecture class consisted of classroom time in the mornings and guided tours of the cities in the afternoon. In between, we had the typical Italian lunch- hours long, with three courses and never any hurry. Classroom time consisted of learning to sketch, which was a completely new experience for me. In our first class, we learned how to draw straight lines (which is a lot harder than it sounds!). By the end, we were drawing the Colosseum and making floor plans of Renaissance palaces. My favorite story of our class time is when a blind man took us on a tour of Rome. As a young architecture professor, he began to lose his sight and started to memorize the facades and layouts of buildings. He would tell us exactly how many windows were on a building and never missed a turn. It was definitely an experience I'll never forget, and one that motivated me to follow my passions no matter what. 

I will never forget my adventures abroad and will always cherish the amazing people and places I saw there.