I want to start this by saying how very grateful I am for the opportunity to study abroad, as I am a first-generation college student and the first in my family to study abroad. These past four months have been extraordinary, and I have grown so much as an individual. On the flip side, there are some things I wish I would’ve known before starting this experience. Sure, we sit in a preparatory orientation class for an hour a week but that usually consists of the professor answering numerous questions about the rules, housing and doing paperwork. Occasionally we had an Italian word of the day which 90%t of us forgot before we even arrived in Florence. It also included a couple student panel sessions, hearing past students discuss the trips they took while they were there or their favorite places to eat. Even with these preparations, however, no one can help you be ready for the experience you will face while you are abroad.
As someone who likes to be in control, it was very nerve-wracking going out of the country for the first time and staying for four months. I had no idea what to expect, nor did I even know what the Italian language sounded like. I recall the first week of school when our professor split us into groups, and we had to discuss what we thought our biggest challenge would be. Many of us in the group had a common answer: not being able to control what will happen, but having to control how we react. (Did I mention everyone in the group was a Virgo? Maybe it makes more sense now.) Prior to going abroad, the unknown gave me such an anxious feeling. I always had a plan and knew what was coming next. After these few months, I realized I’ve developed a different view of life. While I’m not sure if I would describe it as “care-free,” I definitely see the bigger picture of things, like not sweating the small stuff and learning you can’t always be proactive.
One of the things I wish I would’ve realized earlier was that I was living in a foreign country for real. Everything became so much easier once I accepted the fact that studying abroad wasn’t a short term vacation, but a temporary life adjustment. Eventually I made myself adapt to life overseas, but the first few weeks might’ve been less difficult if I would’ve recognized my situation for what it was from the beginning. However, I’ve also learned that it is okay to need time to adjust. I remember the plane ride to Florence on my first day when I knew almost no one. Along this journey I have developed friendships with so many people who were practically strangers, making great memories over gelato trips and study sessions. As the semester is wrapping up, I’m beginning to realize that time really does fly as I countdown the days until I can squeeze my nieces again. It also has hit me that my time here is now very limited. Europe will always be here of course, but the time of living in Florence, Italy specifically is dwindling. I can sense the feeling of nostalgia, already missing the warm air and sunlight coming through my balcony window, and hearing the violinist as I walk to school. I’m learning to cherish each moment I have left.
I’ve also learned that it is perfectly okay to be homesick, and it will happen. I would be the first one to tell you: I’m not a fan of my small town, and I have literally dreamed of moving away and living in a big city since I was a kid. I would be lying if I didn’t say I am excited come home though, and that is perfectly okay! I hear so many of my peers priding on the fact that they don’t miss home, myself included. However, we all have something back home that we can’t wait to go back to. I didn’t realize how much I would miss the convenience of going through Wendy’s drive-thru, Dunkin Donuts coffee, my grandma’s rice or my mother’s homemade enchiladas.
Studying abroad is amazing, but it is not easy or glamorous. Sometimes people look at study abroad and think it is just one big vacation of traveling to different countries. We aren’t working, some of us are only taking fifteen credit hours, so what more could we ask for, right? However, the side they don’t see is waking up to catch the 5:45 am train to the airport, doing homework on the plane, trying to communicate with your loved ones back home and keeping with your grades, all while traveling and experiencing Europe. It is so critical to practice time-management and be patient with the process.
Lastly, I want to thank my parents for making this experience possible, along with my family and friends. Specifically my best friends/roommates Eve and Tiana for inspiring me to experience this opportunity, and for being by my side through it all. I always knew my family and friends were a huge part of my life, but I’ve never leaned on them more than I have this semester. The constant love and support I have received has made this experience so much easier.