My time abroad has been so wonderful and exciting. Every weekend, I've travelled to a new city and get to see places I never thought I'd have the opportunity to visit. It's been almost surreal at times, and the experience has exceeded my expectations.
To be honest, I haven't faced major challenges related to my identities which I feel very grateful for. However, now being five weeks in, I have felt the absence of my community. I come from an extremely supportive and close-knit environment that has defined my college experience. I'm heavily involved in a campus ministry in Eugene, so I miss going to church, Bible study, and spending time with my friends. It's hard being far from that, but I also see it as a privilege. I am beyond blessed to have such incredible people in my life to miss.
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Being a Christian in a culturally Catholic country has been interesting. One experience that really stood out was when I went to the Pope's funeral in Rome last weekend. Not only was it a historic moment, but also an important learning experience for me. I had never been to a Catholic funeral Mass before, and witnessing the Mass helped me understand Catholicism more.
I've also experienced the culture shift in small but noticeable ways. Things that I had not really thought about in Eugene have become very apparent to me in Siena. For example, people walk slowly, stop in the middle of the street, and don't follow the unspoken rules of foot traffic I'm used to in the United States. There is no concept of staying to the right side of the road when you walk here. At first, I found it quite frustrating and struggled not to react when someone would block my way or bump into me. I have been actively working on reframing my feelings about it. How people walk in the city is not wrong, just different. I'm learning to let go of my assumptions that the way I do things is the "right" way to do things.
Overall, reflecting on this experience halfway through, being away hasn't made me question or reevaluate my beliefs. Through it all, I have found that being away has strengthened my beliefs by reminding me of what grounds me and helping me appreciate my community even more, even if it's a little bittersweet.
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Sarah Shewaye, Diverse Ducks Ambassador
Politics in Italy, Spring 2025