Daniella’s Blog from Rome: Part 1
This is the first of several blogs in which History & Theory of Architecture student Daniella Dickson reflects on her experience taking our Study in Rome course, taught by Professor Morgan Currie last summer.
By Daniella Dickson
It still doesn’t feel real that in less than a week, I’ll be in Rome. The countdown has officially begun, and the excitement? It’s building every single second.
What’s funny is that even though I’ve never been to Rome before, it doesn’t feel completely unfamiliar. Ever since I started studying HTA, Rome has always been there. You can’t really go through architectural education without encountering it. Whether it’s in lectures, slides, or case studies, Rome has been a constant foundation.
But now, it’s different.
I’m not just going to learn about it, I’m going to experience it.
I keep imagining what it’s going to feel like to stand in front of places I’ve only ever seen on a screen. Like the Pantheon: I’ve studied its form, its dome, its proportions. But what does it feel like to actually stand beneath that dome? To look up, crane my neck, and see the scale in real life? That’s something no image or lecture can fully prepare you for.
And it’s not just the Pantheon. I’m thinking about the Colosseum, walking through Vatican City, seeing Pieta by Michelangelo, exploring Villa Borghese, and even visiting places like Hadrian’s Villa and the Baths of Caracalla. I’m excited for all of it!
Honestly, I think the “unknown” moments might be the most memorable. Turning a corner and discovering something unexpected, something that still gives you that ‘wow’ feeling. This course isn’t just about seeing Rome’s beauty. It’s about seeing the texture of the stone, the layers of history, and how architecture actually lives and breathes in a city. I want to see how people interact with these spaces every day and not just how we study them from an academic perspective.
At the same time, I’m trying to balance my expectations. I want to keep an open mind, to still be amazed and to be caught off guard. Because I know this experience is going to shift my perspective. Not just as a student, but as a designer, a thinker, and even as someone who wants to give back to my community.
I’m really looking forward to immersing myself in everything Rome has to offer, not just seeing it, but feeling it. And I already know my camera is going to be working overtime, trying to capture even a fraction of what I experience.
This trip isn’t just about Rome.
It’s about perspective. Growth. And stepping into something I’ve only ever imagined.