Coda

I think it is unfortunate that many students today are on such a straight track to success. This statement may seem paradoxical to many, but it is something I vehemently believe in. Lives are better enriched when there are a few bends in the road, some bumps in the journey. Even in college, we are constantly supported by people who care and people who can help. At every stage in our lives, we are handed from one kind guardian to another. Our kindergarten teachers show us to our first grade rooms, we receive welcoming letters from our colleges before we receive our high school diplomas and even in college, our enthusiastic graduate advisers and career counselors prepare our way. None of this is bad, but an overdose of assistance can greatly hinder our abilities to live exciting lives as individuals.

I learned a great deal about the world and about myself during my stay in Italy. You discover a lot about the kind of person you are when you're alone in a sea of people, few who share any common life experiences with you. The first is that being completely alone feels like you're drowning for the first week. Every conversation you have with someone back home is like clutching at a piece of driftwood, it makes you feel good for the time being, but when you lose it, you're more lost than ever. But by the second week of being alone, you realize that you're not drowning, you're merely treading water in what is a beautiful tropical beach. You start to stand up and to explore your surroundings. Before you know it, you've established a routine, and you're happy. Your thoughts are no longer constantly about being alone, but about exploration and adventure. By the time the plane comes and you're being rescued, you don't want to leave.

In regards to my future plans, I would have to say that this experience has reaffirmed my study plans. Visiting Rome and seeing the ancient sites of the Romans strengthens my love for Classics. Having the opportunity to translate Gellius and Cicero reminds me how much I enjoy translating Latin and reading legal materials in their original language. The language of law, the permanence of just ideas and the brilliance of legal thinkers constantly amaze me.