As my study abroad experience in Italy concludes I look back on all of the memories I have gained from it and I am beyond thankful for this opportunity. I have gained so much personal growth from this trip in addition to the academic benefits. Learning how to navigate a foreign country and speak to locals was such an enriching experience I could not have gained any other way. One of the most interesting things I noticed during this trip was the political graffiti featured all over Turin. Many of the messages included phrases such as “love not war” and locals expressed support for or opposition to political leaders. Some of this graffiti was in English which I believed to be a political statement of its own as it shows intention to reach an international audience. This was interesting to me because it reminded me of something I would see in America. A comparable city to this is New York City. On every corner of New York City there are walls filled with political graffiti, protests, and signs. It surprised me to see something that I perceive as very American in Italy.
Another thought I have as I conclude this trip is how much knowledge I gained of criminal justice from this experience. During the second week in Italy we visited Cesare Lombroso’s Museum of Criminology. Lombroso is a very important figure in criminal justice who I have spent the last two years in undergraduate school studying. He has many controversial ideas and opinions that have shaped how we study criminal justice today. His museum showed me his personal office, sculptures, and letters detailing his research. Studying someone who has inspired so much research in the criminal justice field was very fascinating and has encouraged me to continue my own research. Overall, this trip gave me more than I ever thought it could and I am grateful that I get to have these memories for the rest of my life.
