01/08/2026
Ciao! I’m Hillary Rome and I’m in charge of part of tonight’s instagram takeover! There’s a lot to follow because the night entailed so much… Let me firstly explain our farewell dinner. The JSB farewell dinner is an long standing tradition. It’s an opportunity for the students to thank the community of Ariccia for welcoming and taking care of us so graciously. We firstly served our local Ariccians a Southern Style Barbecue to show them what we are going home to! This consisted of Mac and Cheese, Barbecue chicken wings, green beans, corn on the cob, pimento cheese, cowboy caviar, a “Jennifer Anniston” salad, and not to mention, an entire table full of desserts. We were a little bit nervous about how local Italians would respond to such a traditional American meal, but they seemed to greatly enjoy it! This ironically actually reflects how our experience here has been… anticipatory, and unsure of if we would like it. Yet we’re leaving with heavy hearts and hard goodbyes. The night consisted of sentimental speeches, some good food, lots of hopeful “arrividercis”, a surprise birthday celebration, and so much dancing. We had such a fun time hosting everyone and cannot wait until we get to see everyone again someday!
Grazie mille,
from the Summer 2026 cohort❤️🪽