Fondi or Rome

Ah, where do I even begin? Every conversation I have had this week ends in a discussion about me going to Italy and--more specifically--where I am going to stay, in Fondi or Rome. As I write that, the answer seems obvious: Rome. It has been a dream of mine to go to Rome for years now, and--until about 5 months ago, I had never heard of Fondi; the only reason I even know where it is now is because Fondiis where the field study 'group' was supposed to go. Honestly, I was happy with Fondi, and excited about traveling with some other BYU students to experience Italy as an Italian would.

That said, I was thankful that I had a group to go with because, well, 1) I've never been to Italy, 2) I am far from fluent in Italian, and 3) I am a single women--it's comforting to know that someone I know from BYU will have my back. Unfortunately, everyone else that was planning on going to Fondi dropped out of the program. Suddenly, I find myself with a new sense of autonomy. I was initially fine with going to Fondi, and maybe I still am, but I can't help but consider Rome. Like I mentioned before, I have always wanted to go there and there is so much culture in that city, that I don't want to go to Italy, and miss out on an opportunity to live in a city that is so rich with culture. Then, there is Fondi--a smaller town where I can engage and immerse myself in a different aspect of Italian Culture. I have had the "Pro & Con" conversation about 20 times now, and have gotten the opinion of mass amounts of people. That said, the decision is still mine. Others "make the decision," but their decision has no repercussions; my decision affects my field study, not to mention the next three months of my life, and my potential happiness. So, rather than writing my pros and cons out like a conversation (the one I've had 20 times), I am going to make a list. Hopefully seeing it will help make my decision more clear to me.

Rome
Pros	Cons
Rich Culture So much to do--for enjoyment and for my study Lots of young adults and events oriented towards this age group (which I'm studying) Easier communication (?) Close to the LDS church; could still go to my church and other churches of friends I make Near lots of historical sites--something I can only get in Rome, whereas the beach in Fondi isn't a big pro	Safety, it's a big city and there are obvious concerns that come with that I might not pick up as much Italian because--being a tourist site--many people will speak English Potentially harder to find participant
Fondi
Pros	Cons
Safer than Rome Probably easier to integrate with the community (?) I would be forced to use Italian more, and pick up on more of the language Maybe some sports teams (things like that to get integrated Find more traditional/typical Italian families/culture Near a beach (might be a good place to meet young adults, but I also have plenty of beaches in the US, I don't have the sites there are in Rome)	I may miss out on a lot of the great aspects of Italy I would probably not get to experience Sundays there if I chose to continuing going to my church (LDS) because the ward is in Rome Near a beach--maybe a lot of seafood

Rome

Fondi

Ah, I feel like this is really one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make. 1) Because I am making my pro and con list on assumptions--maybe it will actually be easier for me to make friends in Rome or maybe there will be a lot more to do in Fondi. Who knows!? I haven't been able to talk to someone who has really gotten to spend a lot of time in Fondi, but I've talked to a lot of people who have been to Rome. It's a consensus that Romes is AMAZING. I obviously need to make my decision as soon as possible, or I am going to end up with no place to live in either city. Hmm I really had hoped writing this would clear things up in my mind, but honestly....I don't think either city is better, just different. I almost feel like I need to make a decision, then sleep on it over the weekend and see how I feel. If it feels good, I'll go with it, if I'm not feeling good about it, then hopefully that will be an answer as well. The toughest part is that it's really a decision only I can make..sure, other's can share their opinion (and I am GRATEFUL for it), but...in the end, it's my (potentially) once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I want to make the most of it.

I just spent 20 minutes thinking about this and.....

THE DECISION: I'm going to Rome!

I feel good about it in the moment, we'll see how it sits :)