I distinctly remember the feeling I felt when my flight landed in Milan. It was a mix of both excitement and apprehension. I was nervous to leave my family, friends, and familiarity. Yet, those anxious thoughts turned out to be mere figments, as the journey I was soon to embark on was one that I will never, ever forget.
It was a weird feeling knowing that you were over 5,000 miles away from home and in a different time zone, where you wouldn’t receive messages from loved ones until mid-afternoon. It was an adjustment that I grew into quicker than I initially thought, as my days soon began to fill up with classes, studying, and most importantly, traveling! During my time abroad, I had the opportunity to travel to 12 countries: Italy, Germany, Austria, Vatican City, Switzerland, Croatia, England, Scotland, Portugal, Monaco, France, and the Czech Republic. The beauty found in each of these places was extraordinary to see. I sailed the seas of Croatia, saw the beauty of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, climbed the highlands of Scotland, drank tea in the bustling town of London, and so much more.
Looking back, it wasn’t just the cities I visited that made my semester abroad special; it was the people I shared it with. It’s funny how close you can grow to people when you sit outside at 2 AM waiting for an Uber after a less than pleasant RyanAir flight, or navigate an array of different hostels, both good and bad, and even get lost in the Paris metro system together! But, all goes to say that the people I studied abroad with soon became my best friends. As much as we grew together, we grew into ourselves. The growth I experienced during the last five months has led me to be a more independent, confident, and adventurous version of myself.
Oh, how I miss my daily cappuccino and chocolate brioche, trips to the Esselunga grocery store, and my tiny little Milan apartment. There is so much to see out there past the College Station bubble, and this experience has led me to want to continue my exploration of the world around me. I hope that one day I will be able to go back to Milan, as the memories and friends I made there are ones that will never fade.
