Reflection

Buongiorno! (For the last time)

Well, this has been quite a trip and there's definitely a lot to reflect on. First of all, I'm completely convinced that I had the best time that I could have had during this entire time abroad. I seriously think that I got the most out of it that I could have and I have absolutely no regrets about anything I did. I learned way more than there is room to type, about myself, the world, people, culture, everything. It's crazy how much you can learn about yourself and everything else in such a short amount of time.

Bicerin!

I met so many great people and I saw so much, I really never thought the trip would have been this successful, and somehow, I was able to do all of the things I did. One of the most valuable things that I learned from this trip was the connection that I had with people. It was even mentioned during my orientations before I left, but you don't truely realize it until you take the trip; the people that you meet and the experiences you have with them are far more valuable than any city or site you see. I traveled to 11 different countries and saw countless sites. The most fond memories I will have on this trip were the times that I had with my friends. Whether it was a weekend in France or a meal after class, those things will stick out to me more than anything, because I made some awesome friends over there, from all over the world. It's crazy how much it impacts you, especially when you get back. You create such strong bonds with people over there, even if you've only known them for a month or two, it's like you've been friends for years. But I still can't help but appreciate all of the places I was able to go to. It still blows me away to think of all of the places that I visited. I really saw the whole experience as a dream, like nothing I did over here had a direct impact on me when I got home, simply because it "wasn't real" (which can be dangerous sometimes haha). But it really does feel like that, and I think everyone else on my program can agree with that. It was funny, I told my parents when I got back that I didn't see my flight back as returning home, I saw it more as "waking up" from this 5 month-long dream. My mind was blown countless times and I really cannot express how lucky and blessed I was to be given this opportunity.

USAC haha

I feel like I can keep writing about this forever because of how strongly it impacted me. I have so much more self-confidence in everything that I do, knowing that I was able to do the things that I did abroad, whether it was traveling alone, meeting new people, finding a hostel, anything. I view the world, and life in general, in a totally different way now, and it's for the better. Yea, I could have easily done another 4 months of this, but great things can't last forever, and I think that's what keeps us from taking experiences like this for granted. But it wasn't all about traveling. Just making a living in Torino, living, in Italy. Somewhere completely different, mysterious, unexplored by me, and being able to live there for 5 months, not even knowing the language at all, and picking up enough of it to get by. These are some of the things that give me the most confidence in myself and remind me every single day of my life that I can do anything that I want to do. This is probably the most valuable and important lesson I learned in my entire life. If I want something, I know that I can get it if I work hard enough.

Ivrea!

It might sound cliché, but it's true (which is also a cliché, but oh well). The people that I met abroad were some of the nicest people I have ever met. I will be friends with these people for the rest of my life and I look forward to them visiting me and me going back, visiting them. I would love to go back as soon as I graduate, I definitely already miss it, and its hard not to, being that I'm in real life again haha. But anyways, this has been the greatest time of my entire life, this was the greatest decision I made in my enitre life, and I will forever benefit from this experience. I recommend studying abroad more than anything in college. If you were to do one thing while in college, study abroad. There's endless benefits, endless lessons learned, and you will have the greatest time in your life. I cannot thank my family enough for helping me on this trip. Theres too much to say about that. But thanks to USAC, Italy, Europe, and all of the people that I met and will continue to be friends with, for the best time ever.

Ciao!