Words cannot begin to describe my emotions and experiences I’ve had here in Italia. I’ve never had so many thoughts running through my mind at one time. It was and has been an ongoing feeling of excitement and anxiety. Being here has made me grow as a person. It has made me more cultured, self-aware, independent and most of all confident. Living in Firenze has made me more perceptive, I stop and actually look around and listen. This semester has been more than just school for me; it has been about going out of my comfort zone, finding who I am as a person, and who I want to be in the future. There are habits I’ve adapted to in italian culture that i’d like to keep when I return home, and there are habits I’ll be happy to leave here.
Studying abroad in Italy has been more of an a personal goal I’ve had since coming here as a teen with my high school Italian class. Coming from an italian backround, and knowing I was going to stay in Italy for 4 months, I had more excitement than I knew what to do with! To completely immerse myself into Italian culture and experience it first hand has been a real treat. I find myself adapting very well. I’ve grown up with many of the same traditions with food, hearing the language at home, and celebrating the same holidays. I’m comfortable here because of the ties I have to Italy.
There were 2 things I wanted to accomplish before I left Italy, and that was going to my familys’ restaurant Piccolo Arancio, in Roma, and visting Sicilia. I was so happy I got to do both! Sicily was one place I knew I had to visit because of my dad’s hertiage, & when I finally set foot on that beautiful island I could not stop smiling. Eating at the original Piccolo Arancio where my cousins, aunts, and uncles learned to cook was unreal. I ordered the same meal, Ravioli di Arancia, that I order at home when I go to Piccolo Arancio in Farmington, CT. Also, I met a cousin whom I’ve never met before, her name is Mara. We took pictures and drank lemoncello together. It was wonderful to share that moment with her.
Overall, I think I have definitely gotten a lot more out of studying abroad than I had anticipated. For the time we have left here i'm going to make sure I do as much as possible and soak up every moment. I’m excited for the weeks to come, things will start to slowly change over to the Christmas season (the best time of the year!) and it will be time to say “Buon Natale!”
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