I had never taken an art history course before going to Rome. I loved that my first experience with what is essentially the history of art and architecture of the Western world was in a city with so many monuments, churches, and priceless works of art that I saw on a daily basis. Michelangleo wasn't just a name to me; I saw the Sistine Chapel and the David. I've stood in the Campidoglio and looked down across the Roman rooftops. When someone talks to me about Bernini, I can say that I've seen Apollo and Daphne. While waking up early for an on-site lecture was often painful and annoying, it's only later that I realized what an awesome opportunity it was to see something firsthand that many people can only dream about.

Eventually, it got easier; by the end of the semester, I was just as sad to be leaving Rome as I was happy to see my family once again.