First Month!

One month ago, I arrived in Rome, I moved in to my new apartment and I celebrated my 21st birthday by touring this new city. It was definitely not a bad way to start my second Co-op and I can´t believe how quickly time has gone by. A month ago, I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this experience and although it has been great, it has been very different than what I thought it would be like.

Birthday wish at the Trevi Fountain!

For my Co-op, I am working for the NATO Defense College. The College is a part of the Alliance´s effort to ensure cohesion and mutual understanding between the members of NATO as well as other countries that work as partners. They do this through education, outreach and research. One of the most important activities done by the College is to provide education to senior-level military and civilian officials allowing participants to interact and discuss NATO issues in an environment that seeks to promote consensus. Since the first moment I heard about this opportunity, I wanted to come as I felt it was a great way for me to experience the inner workings of an International Governmental Organization. As a Political Science major, I want to make a difference and throughout my time at Northeastern I have been trying to figure out where I fit in and what sort of place will allow me to have the type of impact I want to have.

I came to work as part of the Middle East Faculty of the College that developed its own course called the NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC). The purpose of this course is to engage Middle East countries with their NATO partners in order to look at specific issues of importance to the region. You can understand why I was so nervous on my first day. To start of, the College is located within an Italian military base, so walking in was very intimidating. Furthermore, I suddenly found myself in a predominantly military and male setting. Finally, the idea that I was working for an international organization made everything seem very daunting. Even so, the biggest surprise I received on my first day on the job, is that due to higher up political reasons, the NRCC I was to help out with as part of the Middle East Faculty was cancelled. I expected many things, but not this one and although it was very disappointing, we have been allowed to follow the flagship course of the college, the Senior Course which is a different but equally interesting opportunity. Although I am determined to make the best out of this experience, this situation has also given me insight into the constraints of working for an International Governmental Organization that is based on consensus. But more on this later.

The NATO Defense College

Adjusting to life in Rome was difficult so I knew I needed to find something familiar, and for me that is dance. I have been dancing since I was four and I have continued to do so in many different ways throughout my life. After doing some research I found a studio that looked promising and after an awkward phone conversation in a mix between Italian and Spanish I decided to give it a try. The first time I went to the studio it suddenly dawned on me that nobody spoke anything other than Italian, and although Spanish is similar and I can understand a lot of what is being said, it is by no means enough. Even so, one of the best things about dance is that it is a universal language. Through movement and common passions you erase boundaries. After two weeks at the studio I was invited to perform with them, which I did last Friday. Finding dance in Rome has been something that has helped me settle in and be at ease with this new city and experience. Although I´m taking dance classes in Italian (best way to learn the language!) it has been a great way to feel at home.

Finally, I will tell you guys a little bit about the city. Rome is like a lasagna, (which is probably fitting if you think about it). Below the current city there are layers and layers of the different periods of history. A lot has been uncovered which gives us tons of places to explore, but what is great is to think about all the things that we are yet to find. Furthermore, you have some of the greatest masterpieces by people like Bernini and Caravaggio on the streets or in churches so there is always something new to discover. It has been truly amazing and I look forward to the weeks to come, where hopefully I´ll be able to give you guys a better insight into what living and working in Rome has been like!