An Italian Winter

Guest post by: Junior studying Finance, Eva Zumwalt. During Winter Quarter 2022, Eva studied abroad with Foster Faculty and fellow Foster students on the Business Italy Program in Rome, Italy. She is also a recipient of a Global Business Center Study Abroad Scholarship.

This past winter quarter, I was fortunate to partake in the Business Italy program, traveling and living in Rome, Italy for two months. There are many reasons to study abroad: you’ll get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to get to know your professors, expand your cultural awareness, improve your ability to talk to diverse audiences, and you’ll make so many friends. But at the pinnacle of my study abroad benefits is my gratitude.

It’s not every day that I am fortunate enough to wake up in the sun with delicious pasta from across the world. My study abroad experiences generated gratefulness for my home back in America, my friends at home and the friends that were made in Europe, and for the life-changing experience that I was so lucky to have.

Every weekend, I took trips across Italy with my adored friends from study abroad. We swam at night, got locked out of our Airbnb, and met European people who took me along with their fun and enlightened me on their meaning of life. This is the type of experience you take with you to tell your kids. I have learned what it means to be grateful for wonderful sunshine, beautiful architecture, stunning beaches and lakes, and a love for a culture that prioritizes family and connection above everything else.