After a full semester growing as a person and gaining 28 new siblings, this isn't a simple question to answer. There is no real way to share everything I got out of Rome, so here are just a few things I've learned/gained:
Learning About Myself
One thing I was excited for when I left for Rome was to learn more about myself. As someone always close to home, it was a new experience being away from home for months. I learned so many things this semester.
--I learned what things are most important to me.
--I learned that I am capable of good time management.
--I learned to make decisions when faced with multiple options: homework, hang out, etc.
--Figuring out how to feed myself was wonderful too.
--I really think I matured as a person both in learning to look out for myself and in learning to let others look out for me (letting them in).
--I learned about the interesting balance I have between being an introvert and an extrovert.
--I learned more about what brings me joy and what makes me tick.
--I learned about fears that have held me back from doing things in my life.
--I learned more about what things affirm me and what things make me self-conscious.
--I learned that I can be my crazy self in front of a group of people, and, if it's the right group of people, they'll still love me.
--I learned about my limits as well as my capacity to do things.
--I learned to love and to be loved (especially by Our Lord).
The Community
When people ask me what my favorite thing about Rome was, my honest answer is always, "The people I lived with." Seriously! I lived with a wonderfully diverse group of people.
--We got to experience each other's quirks, strengths, and weaknesses.
--We got to see that having a love for God in common is really all you need.
--It was wonderful watching people open up throughout the semester (this includes myself) and learning that sometimes the people I thought I had very little in common with were actually the people I had the most in common with.
--The laughter, love, faith, and solidarity (Dr. Heaney would like my use of that term ;) ) were truly the highlights of my semester. We got to experience so many new things together. We grew through each other. Our stories of our faith and our experiences strengthened each other. I really think we all looked out for each other. We opened up to each other lovingly.
--The thing that brings me the most joy leaving Bernardi is that I can truly say I developed a personal connection with every single one of my brothers and sisters at Bernardi. We didn't just coexist. We really got to know each other as friends. (Some people I may know better than others, but I got to hold at least one conversation with each fellow Bernardian throughout the semester, and I can honestly say that I love all of them equally.)
--Seeing the witness of other people's faith - especially through the Seminarians' total gift of self to God - was truly moving for me and gave me strength to do the same. The beauty of the experience of seeing men (and women) give themselves to Christ is/was truly inexpressible. THANK YOU!
Spiritually
My faith experience throughout the semester was very personal but very beautiful. While I won't share all the details, I can definitely say that:
--Never before have I had the courage to open myself up to the Lord as much as I did this semester.
--I learned to converse with the Lord genuinely. I learned to ask Him for me to want, to pray for, and to accept His Will regardless of what it might be and for Him to help me to love and embrace His Will. [He answered all of my prayers in the most beautiful, even if not painless, ways!]
--The biggest changes I experienced in my approach to my faith while in Rome were learning to:
(1) Ask God for me to want what He wants
(2) Tell all of my fears to the Lord. He already knows them and is there to listen.
(3) Through the grace of God, find joy and PEACE in God's Will --> realizing what a huge burden is taken off of my shoulders when I put my life in His hands. I may not always be able to trust myself, but I can trust Him.
Culturally
Culturally, Rome was an adventure. I'm glad to be back, but it was cool experiencing a different way of life. Having been in the center of Rome, I won't exactly miss the calls of the selfie-stick vendors or the sound of fake ducks quacking at me (though I might experience some sentimental deja vu from those experiences).
The Italian way of life is different in a number of ways. They move at a slower pace. I like this (except for when I am walking to class behind a couple moving at 0.5 MPH). People are really nice in Italy overall. I appreciated the kindness of Italians who looked out for me: on multiple occasions I dropped something and was helped by a kind European. I will miss the times I was mistaken for being an Italian too. And I will miss the Sisters!
I will miss the lay of the land in Rome. It may have smelled bad and have been crowded, but picturing a map of Rome just reminds me of all the wonderful, long walks I went on with my fellow Bernardians to classes and Churches. I won't miss the traffic. Well... actually... maybe a little. Sometimes it's exciting when you come within inches of being hit by a car. But I'm sure glad I never had to drive there!
I'll miss being within walking distance of St. Peter's. I didn't realize until towards the end of the semester just how much that meant to me.
I will miss the Bernardi terrace, co-cooking in the kitchen, chatting over meals in the dining room, and running up and down the stairs of Bernardi with greetings from those in passing. I will also certainly miss the chapel where I learned to put my life in the hands of the Lord and LET Him give me His peace.
This may have trailed off from a "cultural" aspect, but I really will miss Rome. I hope that the spiritual life, self-growth, and friendships/familyships that I gained in Rome will come home with me and stay with me all of my life.
I now look forward to reminiscing with my fellow Bernardians and seeing what life has to offer, because life isn't over. Life has just begun.
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