My Farewell

“Nothing can be compared to the new life that the discovery of another country provides for a thoughtful person. Although I am still the same I believe to have changed to the bones.”

― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Italian Journey

Here I am, 4 months later, reaching the end of my study abroad in Florence. An end that seemed so distant when I first arrived has finally caught up with me as if over night. I find it hard to gather all my thoughts together for a conclusion to this trip because I haven't brought myself to fully accept that it's now over. Within the next 24hrs I will be landing back in the United States and Italy will no longer be my home. Though I am ready to return, I know that once I am gone, this adventure will appear to have been a dream.

I want to thank the wonderful new people I met here, along with my fellow UConn Fine Arts colleagues who also went on this trip, for making this experience so brilliant. And the most important of all my appreciation goes out to Professor Dancy for being a mentor, a guide and a friend on this study abroad. Without her persuasion, I would have never decided to study abroad in the first place and her inspiring words of wisdom gave me the courage to not only travel around Italy, but to even venture out to Germany and Austria as well.

With holidays ahead and a month long winter break, I hope that everyone finds their way home safely and enjoys the company of those around them by sharing and listening to one another's new discoveries and stories. Hopefully we may all have this chance once again to travel and to all those who have not yet traveled, may you find the ability to do so.

Happy Holidays! Buon Natale! And a Happy New Year!

The installation at Santa Croce.

My trip to Venice.

Standing in from of the colosseum in Rome.

The Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, Austria.

My last trip to Munich, Germany.

Good bye Firenze!