Student Journals: AIFS in Rome, Italy

Mike Cerussi
University of California, Berkeley
Richmond in Rome, Italy

Rowing on the Tiber

Mike Cerussi When I left to study abroad in Rome for a semester, I had expected to find a couple of things: great food, rich history, and the Italian culture. However, when I arrived I found far more. To start, the program got me in touch with Americans from all over the States. I was able to learn far more about where different people come from and what different parts of the country are like. Because of the dinners put on by the program, I was able to meet Italians that I still talk with and I even am getting dessert recipes from. I guess what I am trying to say is that I found to the staff of AIFS: Richmond in Rome to be amazing. They took the time to make sure people were enjoying themselves in Rome. In fact, one staff member, Marco De Federicis, called in a personal friend of his to set me up with my most amazing experience in Rome. Marco was able to get me in touch with a boathouse to join, which resulted with me being able to row in the Tiber River.

To some people, this might not mean very much. But imagine that you grew up playing football and everything you did was all about football. And then you leave the country for 4 months. You don’t want to completely lose touch with your favorite sport, but you know that the Italians don’t play football, they play soccer. Now imagine that one of the AIFS staff members got you in touch with a football team and got you in a scrimmage game that they were having on a field in Rome. That is what it was like for me to row on the Tiber River.

Boat houseI cannot begin to describe what it was like to walk into a boathouse of another country where I did not speak the language fluently. After making our way through my broken Italian, I finally got a chance to introduce myself to one of the coaches, Marcello. He ran me through the preparation work and asked another guy if he would go out in a boat with me. Up until this point, I had been able to speak some English with Marcello, but this new guy Seviglio didn’t speak any English. But still, we got in the boat together.

And it was amazing, blissful even. It was almost surreal. As we started to get moving, with the water rushing by the sides of the boat, I could only think to myself of the grandeur of the river that I was rowing in. On the right side I could see Castello St. Angelo and as we rowed further up the river, there was the Mausoleo del Augusto on my left, and all the while Seviglio saying “sinistra” and “destra” as we took our boats through the winding and turning of the Tiber River.

Rowing on the Tiber River was without a doubt one of the most amazing experiences I had in Rome. And it was great to know that I had staff members at the school that were willing to go out of their way to help me reach a goal that I didn’t even think was possible. Looking back on it now, I can only think to myself that I am one of the few American rowers that have had a chance to row on the Tiber River and because of that it is an experience I will never forget.