It has always been a dream of mine to go to Italy, or just to leave the country in general. I have been to Canada a few times, but that does not really count to me. So, as soon as I learned about the opportunity to study abroad in Italy, I applied to go. Luckily, the person in charge of the trip was a former professor of mine, so I was accepted almost instantly.
Leading up to the trip I was so excited. Five weeks of freedom in Italy sounded like the greatest thing in the world. On the day I was to begin my journey from Canandaigua, New York to Sorrento, Italy I woke up and cried in my mom’s lap. Not only was I going to be away from my family for five weeks, I was going to a foreign country with no friends and no real knowledge of what I was walking into. Sure, I knew I would be taking classes, but I was nervous about being so responsible for myself. I would be buying my own groceries, making my own meals, managing my own schedule on days I did not have classes, and organizing my own transportation.
After my mom cheered me up and my dog licked all my tears away, I told myself to go into the day with the same excitement and positive attitude I had held for the months leading up to this. Traveling from home to Toronto was very easy. Travel from Toronto to Paris was a tad bit stressful, but still very manageable. The trip from Paris to Naples was a disaster. Upon arriving at the Naples airport in Italy, I discovered my luggage had not made it to Italy with me. And that luggage would not make its way to Sorrento for another two weeks. My experience living two weeks without my things could be a whole article on its own, but in hindsight it was only a small part of experience as a whole.
With and without my luggage, I had a great time and am so thankful I had the opportunity to travel. It was a great lesson in independence. While I did not make as many meals for myself as I should have, I did learn a bit about grocery shopping for myself as well as cooking for myself. My forced independence also helped me to be more confident and talkative, which is the opposite of my typical personality. I am also so thankful for the friends I made on the trip. The unique experience we shared is something I think will bond us for a long time to come.
To be completely honest, I did not learn a whole lot from the classes I took. I learned much more from my environment and watching how people lived. One regret I have is not talking to more of the locals that lived and worked in Sorrento. I wish I had put myself out there more and gotten to know some people with interesting stories.
All in all, I would recommend studying abroad at least once in your college career. It is such a wonderful experience. Not to sound like the typical girl who studies abroad and then claims to be a different person when they get back, but it truly is a life changing experience. Even my parents noticed right away how much more confident I was in public settings. Immersing yourself in another culture for an extended period of time forces you way out of your comfort zone and challenges you into doing things you would not have ever pictured yourself doing.