Wow! I cannot believe I just spent nearly three months living outside the United States! This experience was life-changing, incredibly challenging and a ton of fun, all at the same time! I am sad to say goodbye to my life in Italy but excited to be back home to use and share the new things I learned while I was abroad.
When I first decided to go on this trip, I had three simple goals in mind: learn to speak Italian fluently, make new friends and visit as many places in Rome as I could. I am so proud to say that I not only accomplished those goals, but I also grew in ways I did not expect. One of the biggest ways I changed is that I am much more open-minded. I never thought I would do things such as drink coffee, eat pumpkin and read books in Italian! I also became a better traveler from the many wrong buses I took, wrong tickets I ordered, and stray bushes I had to tinkle in because I did not think to use the bathroom before traveling. These experiences led me to become so well-versed in travel that I began planning my own trips towards the end-- to the aquarium in Genoa and to the ancient city of Pompeii. Lastly, I developed a greater appreciation for home and fought through my first bouts of homesickness. Although Italy is an amazing place, it made me miss New York even more.
