Even after attending for a couple of weeks in Italy it still feels weird coming home, kinda like going through another cultural change, but I am glad to be home. Once I stepped off my final plane after having a 14-hour flight, having to file a luggage claim, and rebooking the last flight I just felt relieved that I managed to have fun and learn while in Italy, but also gain the confidence that I could do this again in the future, but just plan out a few things differently. I definitely miss Italy, especially Venice, with all of the freshly prepared food, the smells of leather, and getting a nice breeze from the lagoon, but I will plan to go back in the future, this time just for my leisure. Before coming over to Italy I made sure to read some articles and listen to some close friends about what Italy is like, from the perspective of the US, in order to maintain my appearance to fit in with the locals, and while some of what I learned helped a lot of it wasn’t really necessary, it was basically just like a rumor. I also have a new craving every morning for cappuccinos. Coming back to the US I did have a new perspective on some things I see like most people don’t have any sort of standards on what they wear as long as it’s defined as clothes, and another is how much more oil they use in their food. If you’re currently thinking about studying abroad in the near future I’d like to tell you to go for it, but also plan it out by researching how it can benefit you, what the state of the country is currently like, and most importantly if you’d be able to know what to do in case of an untimely event. If there was one thing I wish I knew more about before this program is that most people in the area I was in spoke English, so I wouldn’t have to stress about learning small amounts of Italian and using hand movements to communicate. Also pack light, because while you want to make sure you have enough clothes, toiletries, etc… you also want to have room in your luggage for traveling back especially if you don’t want to exceed your flight carrier weight limit for checked luggage. Also, one final tip is to bring a folder with all of your important documents printed out in it in case you need identification of some kind.
This was an amazing experience unlike any other I have ever done, and I can’t wait to go back someday.
Ciao.