Upon Return
What are you feeling after returning?
Honestly the only thing going through my mind in the airports was hoping I would not miss my connecting flights. I had a layover in Turkey and I was soooo stressed out. Then I was stressed out about if my luggage would make it back home. Once
I was back on U.S. soil and home with my family, it was amazing to recount all my new memories to them and show them all my pictures. I bought a postcard at each excursion/site we went to and got to show them all of those and it really helped me remember the specific interesting parts of each place. I do miss Italy and the friends I made on the trip and wish I could go back with my family to experience it with them again.
Do you feel changed?
Honestly, I did gain so much more perspective and learned how scary it is to be truly alone, but how rewarding it is when you make friends and learn to be alone. I love being more educated on how things work in other countries and seeing the differences in other cultures and deciding which one is more logical. I wish more things that are common in Italy were implemented in the U.S., such as walkable cities, tipping culture, public transportation, and food quality.
Did you experience reverse culture shock?
The only thing I really noticed that was different was the food and the time. I was not in Italy long enough to be surprised by english signs or anything but the craziest thing to me was how different our food was. American restaurant food is so much worse than Italian restaurant food in terms of quality, taste, and even health standards.
Any advice for future students?
Please study abroad. It is so worth it and was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I had a really rough start where all I wanted was to just go home but it got so much better. Make sure to pack clothes in your carry-on so you don’t have to wear the same outfit for days if your luggage gets lost. I would recommend trying to find direct flights instead of layovers if you can afford it because all it does is add unnecessary stress. Take so many pictures and have a completely open mind. Try to make friends and enjoy the most of your time.
