This past spring semester, I had the privilege to do a semester exchange in Milan, Italy and now that I?m back in the US and reflecting on my time abroad, I can confidently say that this was the best decision I have ever made in my life. However, I initially didn?t like Milan very much because I was expecting it to be very colorful like southern Italy and it wasn?t what I had imagined in terms of diversity of people or food either. Instead, it rained often, it was gloomy and dirty, it was dangerous at night, and strangers weren?t very friendly towards Americans/English speakers. Nevertheless, I tried my best to adapt with what I had and get out of my comfort zone.
Towards the end of the semester I started to appreciate it more, maybe because it was the one place that brought together so many wonderful people or maybe because it was where I was able to create some of the most memorable experiences of my life. This city was far from perfect but I wouldn?t have had it any other way because what I?ve experienced here taught me resilience, mental agility, and independence. So now I have a special love for Milan, where it all began. Throughout the semester, I discovered really yummy places to eat, places to quietly sit and reflect on life, and most of all a place to call my second home. Although I won’t be able to come back to Milan for a long long time, I will hold it in my heart as a place full of nostalgia, reminiscence, exploration, and youthful memories. Before going on exchange, each day I always worked so hard in school and at my job, leaving no time for my own enjoyment of hobbies or much quality alone time. This was a result of my upbringing in a Vietnamese American household so it was all I knew. But in Italy people don?t live to work, they work to live. They appreciate the slower moments of life by eating their meals fully and leisurely, they sit on their balconies people-watching while drinking coffee, and they take the time to walk to their destination, admiring the city views each and every day. They also take the time to get to know each other and build closer relationships whether it is for business purposes or not. Immersing myself in Italian culture meant I?d need to immerse myself in their lifestyle too. Slowly, my perspective on life changed. Although I once had the mentality of being a workaholic and constantly hustling towards a successful career, I learned to prioritize my personal life and goals to make the most out of my short time living in Europe. I learned to appreciate my family and close friends more and tried my best to spend every moment of the day exploring with and learning about them. I still struggle to not worry or overthink about my future sometimes but I am definitely making progress on focusing on the bigger picture of life – to enjoy it to the fullest by experiencing all that you can with the ones you love and to make a positive impact on others because our life is so short.
It?s been a whirlwind of a semester, but I?m so grateful for each and every person I?ve met on this exchange and each experience that has helped me grow and led me up to here. I can fully say that this exchange has shaped my character into someone I can be proud of. I?ve become better at adapting to challenging, dangerous, or unknown situations, making important decisions quicker, being a reliable and loving friend, planning out my next courses of action efficiently and productively, living for weeks with just a backpack, deepening my friendships even with our limited time together, managing my time to balance everything, and appreciating the smaller things in life. Each day, I look back on these memories and am so incredibly glad I took the chance to study abroad.
