Study Abroad

      As an architecture student, I have been very interested in the cultures of the world and for five months in 2026, I had the blessing of experiencing the Italian ways of life. While I was able to go technically twice, once for Architecture for the Spring semester in Genova, and the other for Italian for a June-mester in Firenze, in both programs I tried to incorporate architecture, Italian, and landscape to fully immerse myself as a designer in a new area. I had visited Italy when I was younger, but now having the background knowledge of design, and also of the language, I experienced Italy through a completely new light, and felt that I was able to understand more of the nuances of regular life past the tourism areas. While we did visit some of the grand sites such as the Duomo in Firenze, the Pantheon and Colosseum in Rome, and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venezia, our trips also prioritized some lesser-known areas such as Bergamo, Orvieto, and Torino. Through the incorporation of more than the typical cities, I was able to understand the patterns of Italian villages and architecture, as well as how much influence the Roman Empire truly had on urban planning. 

      My semester in Genova also allowed me to travel to other nearby countries, including France, the Vatican, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. 

      We visited Lyon, France and the Vatican as parts of our guided weeklong trips, and these were also particularly insightful architecturally. Lyon houses what I, personally, believe to be one of the most stunning cathedrals - the basilica Notre-Dame of Fourvière, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and was built in 1872 and features green, blue, and gold mosaics, gothic arches, and classical Corinthian columns. I think perhaps the reason I love it so much is because of its mixture of styles. It is designed so well, and is reminiscent of so many eras despite only being built ~150 years ago. We also took a detour to Eveux, France, where Le Corbusier designed La Tourette, a Dominican priory in the middle of the rolling hills of the French countryside. While the architectural style may not be my personal favorite, I could appreciate several moves Le Corbusier took, such as the winding private entry through a forested lane, the orientation of the dining room towards panoramic views, and the secluded nature of each of the cells does make sense. I do wish the courtyard had actually been used like a normal courtyard rather than feeling so out of place walking amidst the columns and dirt.

      In the other long trip, while in Rome, we visited the Vatican, including the large and ever-corridored museum, the classical gardens, and, of course, St. Peter’s Basilica. I had visited the basilica about ten years ago, but I don’t think I had fully grasped the monumentality of the structure. Contextually, it’s difficult to explain, as features are purposefully distorted to make the interior both proportionally related and also extremely large. The basilica can fit around 60,000 people, and multiple other large churches could fit (floorplan-wise) inside of the structure. I enjoyed being able to have the experience of my professors for these international travels, as well I might be aware architecturally of these spaces, there was so much history and context that I could have missed.

      Throughout the semester I was also able to travel independently and in several small groups with my classmates. In January, I, along with a couple friends, traveled to Interlaken, Switzerland for snow, fondue, and mountains! I may have had an ulterior motive, however, as up a short 30 minute tram lies the town of my last name: Wengen. My father’s family originates from Switzerland via way of an ethnoreligious group, the Mennonites, and since then, my family has strove to maintain our heritage. I first heard of the existence of Wengen in high school, promptly painted a series of ceramic plates detailing my ancestors’ immigration journey, and then have been desiring to visit Wengen for over seven years. My friends and I wanted to visit Switzerland during the winter, and, after checking AirBnB prices, we decided on the Interlaken area (technically Beatenberg), and on one of the days, we boarded the tram towards the waterfall-graced cliffs of Lauterbrunnen and then a cogway train up the steep slopes to Wengen. The entire day was magical, snow shone against the topography, the ski slopes were alive with racers, and signs marking ‘Wengen’ were everywhere. I may or may not have cried while listening to ‘homesick’ by wave to earth, as I felt deeply connected to this place that felt so familiar. About a month later, I was also able to visit some lifelong family friends in Thun (across the lake from Interlaken), and again I felt as though I was returning home to a valley where my ancestors lived.

      Later on in the semester I visited Munich and Salzburg with a group of friends over Easter weekend. The previous semester I had worked with an exchange student from Munich and, although we were not able to meet up, it was intriguingly insightful to see where she was from, and be reminded again of the ways in which hometowns can form individuals. We also took a train to Salzburg for Easter Sunday, and I was joyfully immersed in Springtime! Flowers blossomed on the trees and in the manicured royal gardens, the jeweled lakes sparkled in the sunshine, and songs arose from the hills (yes, we did participate in the ‘Sound of Music’ tour). With each of my international travels, I was able to immerse myself in cultures which I had previously visited, but had never spent time there individually, and learned more architectural history, but also the landscape, language, and foods of these places. 

      As I continue in my architectural, linguistic, and cultural studies, I want to use my experiences to become a better and more aware designer. Studying abroad affirmed my desire to design with a conscious purpose towards heritage, tradition, and culture, and I plan to never stop learning and researching in order to continuously improve for my future journeys.