Dear Collegiettes,
Some of you may have just recently returned from a semester abroad. Some of you may be leaving for your adventures now. Either way, this relates to you. Whether we admit it or not, gaining weight abroad is one of our biggest fears. At least, it was for me. I recently studied abroad in Parma, Italy for a semester. Yes, you may also know it as the Bread Basket of Italy or the Food Capital of the world, that Parma. I went into my semester knowing that I was going to eat the best food in my entire life, and I went in accepting the fact that I might gain a little weight. What I did not realize, however, was how that took a toll on me.
As the weeks and then the months passed by, we all began to notice changes in our bodies. Collectively, we girls noticed the extra fluff. We began joking about our double chins, our muffin tops, and calling ourselves the Pillsbury doughboys (or girls). We knew what we were getting ourselves into and we knew it was worth it. How could we turn down a meal from Anna Bonomi, the most adorable woman on the planet, and miss out on her delicious cooking? How could we turn down Coop Bread, or il pane quadrata, which we ate at least twice a day? How could we turn down blocks of Parmesan cheese and sweet Lambrusco at dinner with our housemates? There was no food that I could say no to, and I was okay with that. We all were.
The joking continued about our progressive weight gain, and how we would all magically zip into shape once we got back to the United States, because obviously the food could never compare. My own personal weight began taking a toll on me, however. I joked with everyone and genuinely did agree that the weight was worth it, but I hated feeling out of control. I hated that I couldn’t work out except for biking through the city. I hated that my clothes weren’t fitting. I hated that I looked like a chubby chipmunk on my twenty-first birthday. I would complain, and my friends would comfort me and assure me that I looked beautiful, but I couldn’t assure myself. I noticed it especially the last week in Italy, when one of my friends told me that if I continued to worry about my weight, I would miss out on the wonderful things happening in our final days in Parma, and how much worse would I feel regretting that?
So I pushed those negative thoughts out of my head as much as I could and enjoyed my last moments with my Parma family in the city that we called (and still call) home. I flew home to Boston in my yoga pants and oversized sweater, and then I opened the floodgates to the self-deprecating thoughts.
It took me a while, but eventually I began to see that I was wrong. My friends had been right all along. The food was worth the weight. The memories were worth the weight. Sure, I could come home skinny and have my clothes fit, but I would never know how amazing the gourmet meal at the ALMA Culinary School tasted. I would never appreciate Anna Bonomi’s cakes. I would never understand the gelato from Emilia, or the bread from Coop, or, for that matter, the bread from Coop with ice cream on top. I would never appreciate the feeling of aggressively seeking out a five-kilogram jar of Nutella because we could finish it. I would regret enjoying all of those tastes and experiences and memories with my best friends. It took some thinking and some talking, but I realized that the weight I gained in Parma is the happiest weight I’ve ever gained. The weight will be easy to lose because the pounds are happy pounds. That sounds silly, but I can proudly say I gained my “happy pounds” by eating the most scrumptious meals of my life. And I can proudly say that I spent almost four months of my life eating everything I wanted to and at the end of the day, I have zero regrets.
Anna Bonomi and the famous Big Bowl
I think that’s pretty beautiful. And no matter which country or city you study abroad in—even if you don’t study abroad and you stay at school—enjoy what you eat! I promise you the memories you make and the experiences you have will be worth the weight gained.
With love and a few happy pounds,
XOXO Briana
This pizzeria in San Donato Val di Comino has not only the best pizza ever – I think—but also the best memories ever.
Photo Sources:
Photos by Camilla Creatura and Lia Gentile
http://happyandhealthy.ca/gaining-weight/