A trip to Italy made a student prouder to be an American. Here’s why.

The College Fix reports.

Summer lessons abroad: How living in Italy made me appreciate America even more

Sometimes things in America aren’t nearly as bleak as we perceive them to be– it’s just a matter of perspective.

I learned that this summer when I spent six weeks studying abroad in Orvieto, Italy – a small hill-town buried within the Umbrian countryside.

Living in Italy was a wonderful experience I will remember for the rest of my life. I studied one of my great passions, photography, in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

There are many things that are better in Italy than America, such as pizza and pasta, monuments, gelato, mass public transit, and fashion. However, I was thrilled when my plane touched down in the United States and I returned to the country I proudly call home.

Don’t get me wrong: I was a flag-waving, Constitution-hugging patriot before I stepped foot in Europe. However, living in a foreign country made my love for my country even stronger as I learned to appreciate the little things about America that are often overlooked.