As time grew closer to leaving for Europe, I became more nervous and excited than ever. I was nervous because I knew I would miss my family tremendously, and I also didn’t have any friends that are also going on the trip. I knew that some people would already have a friend group to hang out with, and I was scared this would negatively affect my experience since I would only be meeting everyone for the first time. Going to a new place is scary, but when you don’t know anyone else it is even scarier. Despite my worries, though, I met two girls on the plane that are in the same program as me. They immediately welcomed me into their group and invited me to explore Venice with them. I came to find out that a lot of people don’t know anyone else either, which was very comforting. We have all already started making plans together for the trip, and I can already tell that I am not going to feel left out for a second. I am also planning on seeing my friend in Nice, France on our break, so I am really looking forward to that as well. It is so beautiful here in Venice, and the locals are extremely nice. We passed by small vendors that were selling fresh fruit and jewelry, and we saw the most saw the most beautiful flower shop that smelled so amazing. We also ate pizza as a first meal down here, and it definitely did not disappoint. All of the amazing Italian dishes is what I am looking forward to most! I knew Venice has lots of waterways for transportation, but actually seeing it firsthand was astonishing. Where there are usually roads, there is water, and where there are usually cars, there are boats. It is incredible how different this lifestyle is, and I can’t wait to learn even more about the culture beyond this.
