The Dungeon

After a long bus trip, first of the many, we finally arrived to our home for two weeks of orientation, Hotel Colombo. Just thinking of Hotel Colombo and Lido Di Camiore, the beach town it was located in, brings tears to my eyes. It was here that we met our roommates, made friends, and explored Italy for the first time. Hotel Colombo, although it was conveniently across the street from the beach, was an experience of its own. It was the first Italian "hotel" that we stayed at and for many, it was a difficult transition from the luxury one experiences in America. There were two separate buildings, the nicer one being the main building. Of course, my room was located in the other building. After four flights of stairs, I opened my door to be completely shocked. The beds were long, narrow, and an inch apart. The shower was the entire bathroom, separated by what the Italians consider a curtain. The balcony fit one person and was behind a strange door like contraption that opened by pulling on a rope. From that point forward, my roommate and I would refer to our room as, the dungeon. Little did we know, we would grow to love the dungeon. When studying abroad or even just traveling and experiencing different cultures, it is important to be optimistic, open minded, and make the best of the experience.