Well, my first three weeks in Italy have been…astounding! I never thought that I would have the guts to leave my home for 4 months to make a new home in Arezzo, Italy. Having to step out of my comfort zone is something that takes a lot of energy out of me. But here I am, and I have loved every single second of my new adventure. These last three weeks have been a whirlwind of new faces, too much gelato (but can there REALLY be a thing like too much gelato?!), train rides to new places, and learning something new about myself in the process.

I didn’t think I had what it took to be able to study abroad, and leave my comfort of home. I am born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma. I grew up with the same group of friends for 10+ years of my life, so I never needed to make new friends until I came to college. If I was ever in trouble, I had the comfort of being able to drive 15 minutes to my mom’s house. I was completely familiar with the four corners of Norman, but I was itching to find a new adventure. Being at OU for my first two years have been some of the best times of my life to date. Why would I want to leave everything for a whole semester, to be totally out of my comfort zone? That didn’t exactly sound like a great time to me. Before I knew it, I was purchasing my ticket to Rome for the spring semester of my junior year. I was actually going to study abroad.

I don’t have that much experience under my belt just yet, but I urge anyone reading this (and who is considering study abroad) to look into the different programs and start talking to people! Whenever the idea to study abroad in Arezzo popped into my head, I talked to every single person I knew who went. Advisors, friends, OU in Arezzo ambassadors, mentors, my mom, EVERYONE. You can never start early about planning to study abroad (I started a full year and a half….I was a bit eager). People are always willing to answer your questions, and if you feel nervous, still talk to someone! I know for a fact that if I had let my fear stop me from coming to Arezzo, I would have regretted it. The lessons and experiences I have had in just three weeks blows me away. To think that I still have months ahead of me to experience all that Italy has to offer me makes me excited. Stay tuned!

Blessing Ikpa

The University of Oklahoma ‘16

Criminology & Human Relations