Jazmine Otey

As I readied for my trip to Urbino, anxiety had seized me. This would be my first time on an airplane and in a foreign country and honestly, it was daunting. Everyone around me seemed familiar with what it was like to be in a culture outside from their own and as I looked around me with a soft, bashful smile I felt as if this trip, and the program itself, would be too big for me. Regardless, I pushed this irrational fear to the side and decided it was time to stop being confined by my own doubt. Looking back, I can say with ease that it is one of the best decisions I’ve made. Now, walking down the cobble stone walkways, with the annoying pigeons trailing close behind me, I feel at home in the small, quaint town of Urbino. Being immersed in a culture different from my own has taught me about myself in a way I’d never imagined. I’ve made new, exciting friendships and gained more confidence in my abilities through being pushed everyday by my talented advisers. I am forever grateful for this insightful experience — the town, its food and even the pigeons will be missed.