I arrived in Rome on Jan. 7th, and ever since then, life has not been the same as it was before I left. My life had suddenly gone from a tangible and concrete existence to one that seemed surreal and border-line dream like. It has been an incredible ride ever since I got here. This surrealism has come from actually visiting and being a part of all these places that I have dreamed about my entire life. From one moment being in Indiana, my home, the only place I have ever known with my family and friends and life centrally located in one state to being placed in the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, came as somewhat of a reality check in the first days and weeks of being here. The feeling of complete independence and uncertainty about where my life was going was just what I needed to fully enjoy this experience. It is hard to describe this feeling to someone who has not been abroad themselves, but I was truly excited about life. I was excited to realize my potential and to see what this extremely large world had to offer. Even after being here for 10 weeks, I still have not lost that feeling and life truly could not get any better.

    Everything I do here seems to bring a smile to my face mainly because this whole experience seems like an interactive movie, where you can touch your immediate surroundings. Every time my friends and I visit a historic or religious place, the only thing that I can say is that we just don’t deserve to see this or to be there in that moment. This whole study abroad trip has been one that constantly reminds all of us here of just how lucky we are with our lives. It puts things in perspective by reminding us what is truly most important in life with your family, friends, and spirituality. Just being a part of this very different culture for this short time also makes me realize that the world is so big and has so much to offer, but at the same time, the world is so small in how similar people can be even if they are of different cultures, languages, and ethnicity. I think all of us in Rome feel this way with a sizeable language gap, but communicating with people even with only a few words and gestures can connect people.

    We can learn from one another and even pray with one another. As a Catholic, it’s incredible how much I feel like my spirituality has grown here, and to be here along side people of the same religion from all over the world is something that I will never forget for the rest of my life. After living in Rome, seeing the Pope twice, visiting Venice, Pompeii, Vienna Austria, and skiing the Swiss Alps, some of the best advice I can give right now is to not take life for granted. Life itself is so precious. It’s a gift that we all were given, and no matter what you do in a day always do it as though it could be your last.  Never waste a moment to tell the people in your life how much they mean to you, and always trust yourself because it is your instincts that will guide you through when you need it most.

    I miss Wabash and the soccer team, but I am having the time of my life. I will be thinking of you guys when I visit Paris, Normandy, Nice, Monaco, Munich, Milan, Athens, Santorini, Cinque Terra, Salzburg, Lucerne and a couple of other places in the next two months. Keep working hard, and I will see you all in the summer and fall!

GO ‘BASH

Jon Miller, #0 – Wabash Soccer