A mere few months ago, I stopped in my honors college advisor's office on my way to class for a quick hello that, of course, turned into a long period of reminiscing.
Professor Staley is exactly what you would imagine of a kindly, older aficionado of ancient Greek and Latin. He wears a tweed jacket, carries a leather briefcase and never passes up an opportunity to while away the day wistfully walking down memory lane on ancient European streets.
That said, I was not surprised when Professor Staley asked me if I was experiencing "Rome Sickness" after my semester abroad in France. He explained that this condition falls on Americans when they return back to the US and experience a longing for the old world.
I agreed that indeed I missed French nougat and the train and the like, but that I was happy to be back with friends. Little did I know that a few weeks later, I would be stuck at home with a nasty case of Rome Sickness.
College is a time to learn about yourself: to leave home, to explore different majors and classes, to grow into your own person. For many students, this means leaving the country to study abroad. The amount of learning that comes from navigating a language barrier or running through a Swiss train station at 2:00 a.m. cannot be replicated in a classroom, and this has become a valuable cornerstone of cultural education at many American universities.
The dawn of COVID-19 forced many American students to move back home with their parents, and for kids who had been galavanting around the globe a month before, the transition was quite a shock.
I know personally that I have spent many a hours looking back at my old photos, missing the time that I spent in Nice, France last semester, and I wanted to ascertain if other students were feeling the same. Turns out, they were. Here are a few friends from my locale with a token from their time abroad and their reminisces about their travels.
Claire Brantley: Germany
Claire worked for the German government on the local level at the start of her college career after studying the German language for several years. She now considers Germany to be her second home and how it prepared her for her dream job: a professor of political science.
"I think it'd be challenging to have an abroad experience cut short because of the emotional and academic preparation involved ... you're not given enough time to process reverse culture shock or fulfill anticipated experiences," Brantley said.
Even so, Brantley wants to make sure that others focus on the greater good served by isolation.
"Don't prioritize your social life over the survival of others and listen to the doctors, scientists, and the CDC," Brantley said.
She wanted to wear her lederhosen, but those are in her locked dorm. Here, she sports her brother's German soccer jersey that she found in her home where she is staying with her family.
Hannah Peeler: England
Hannah Peeler traveled to London last year with Lipscomb University–a dream for an English major with a focus in British literature. Besides basking in the glory of the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and J.K. Rowling, Peeler found that she fell in love with the city itself.
"What I miss most about London was the city life. From the food markets to the public transportation to the West End shows, London was absolutely brilliant," Peeler said.
Peeler holds a scrapbook that she filled (or overfilled) during her semester. The notebook was given to her by a professor to record her thoughts on her travels, but she went above and beyond to use it as a holding place for every ticket and brochure and photo that came into her possession.
Elijha Spears: Zambia
Elijha Spears spent last semester serving in Zambia with Harding University. He worked at a hospital and learned more about life in medical missions, but he also deeply connected with the community in his host town. Spears is holding a Christmas star made for him by a friend named Baneene, which means Christmas.
"I miss life in Zambia. I miss learning from so many loving, faithful people. I miss the beauty of Zambian landscape and culture. I miss the long walks in the hot, dry sun. The time I spent in Zambia changed my life ... time filled with good friends, amazing lessons, and lots of growth," Spears said.
Spears is a pre-med student who is adjusting to online STEM classes and labs and is preparing for summer courses.
Camille Pearman: England
Camille Pearman studied abroad last semester in England with a small cohort. There she took the opportunity to immerse herself in British culture, taking advantage of cultural events and free museums in London that enhanced her education.
"Since I came back to the US, I've been planning my next trip to England. I'm getting homesick!" Pearman said.
Here, Pearman holds a British telephone booth with her "return to Europe funds." The change inside is comprised of Pounds, Euros and American dollars.
Audra Crisler: Zambia
Audra Crisler studied abroad with the same program as Elijha in Zambia where she learned about the female identity in a new culture.
"I experienced the Kingdom of God in a whole new way. I loved that I got to spend hours with powerful Zambian women and dance with them and sing with them and change baby diapers with them," Crisler said.
Crisler holds a chitange: a Zambian skirt that is also used for household chores or for strapping a baby to a woman's back. She hopes to translate her experiences into a career in social work rooted in the type of love that she witnessed abroad.
Abby Surdacki: France
Abby Surdacki fell in love with France and French artwork as shown in her watercolor book about Monet's house at Giverny. Surdacki visited the house in Giverny and hastily bought a souvenir book there, but she prefers this one that she found while leisurely wandering a museum gift shop in Paris.
"What I miss most is getting to see beautiful historical buildings or sites or parks every day and then getting to experience it with my friends," Surdacki said.
Surdacki is used to adventure as she left her home town to study on the west coast in Washington state. After quarantining with her family, she returned to Seattle Pacific University to finish her online classes with her roommates in the coffee capital of the country.
Thomas Link: England
Thomas Link spent last semester studying in London–a stark change from his life back home where he went to school at Lipscomb University, just a few minutes down the road from his family in Nashville. In England, he lived alone for the first time and enjoyed spending solo time in a new place.
"Experiencing 'living history' is one of the coolest parts of living in Europe in general, and London in particular," Link said.
Link holds a viking drinking horn which embodies the long European history with which he was so enamored.
Yours Truly: Nice, France
I love Nice and miss Nice more than anything I've ever missed in the world. I miss taking a twelve euro round trip to Monaco, I miss little independent book stores, I miss the sweet smell of tobacco, I miss stumbling through French conversations with the owner of the SPAR under my building. But most importantly, I miss being able to adventure and leave my house and experience new things.
Someday we will leave quarantine, and little by little, we'll be able to visit friends, go to different states and maybe travel the world again. Like Camille, I look forward to working on my own "return to Europe funds," and if I ever go back, I know I'll appreciate it more than I ever would have before COVID-19. I'm grateful for my time in France and for the humbling gratitude I've acquired in missing it.
Nice me manque toujours.