Picture this—it is dusk, the sun has just set. You are standing atop a hill surrounded by beautiful greenery and cobblestone, looking out on quaint Tuscan vineyards.
Then, right when you start to feel the excitement of finally being here, you realize that you still have to walk all the way from the bus stop in town, to the Villa with 100 pounds of luggage, next to no sleep and no idea where you are going. By that time, you are wishing you learned a bit of Italian before you came!
Okay, well, maybe the first day is not always as glamorous as you imagined it to be.
It is only when you get settled in and comfortable that you truly understand the reality of where you are. You are in Florence, Italy!
I came to Italy with one goal: to see everything that I could in the short amount of time. Now, with the semester at an end, I can look back and say that I did just that. Every weekend I did something or went somewhere.
By the end of this semester, I will have visited 10 different cities throughout Italy, and a total of five different countries.
Looking back at all the places I have been, I have to say that the most beautiful place on the planet is Cinque Terre, Italy. This cluster of five coastal towns in northwest Italy took my breath away.
The towns were all literally built right in the sides of the cliffs, overlooking the bluest water I have ever seen. Each city was connected by paths that you could hike.
The trails took anywhere from 2-12 hours to complete. Unfortunately, bad weather the previous week meant most of the trails were closed, but we were able to hike two shorter paths while we were there.
My favorite thing on that trip was simply sitting on the rocks by the water, listening to the waves crash in and watching the sunset with a dixie cup of wine.
To be fair, I did not spend ALL my time traveling. During the week, I spent a lot of time in the wonderful Villa Morghen taking classes, trying to figure out the impossible Italian dryers, studying for Italian exams, or just hanging out with the 25 other Ravens in Italy.
Occasionally, I would head into town and hit up a museum with our awesome Art History instructor, Francesco, or make my way to a local pub with friends.
I have really been blessed with so many adventures. Whether it be sprinting to catch buses, trying to figure out which train to get on so as not to end up in a completely different country, or braving the unwashed sheets of hostels: I had my fair share of exciting experiences.
Each of these played a distinct part in making me fall in love with this country and this culture. I am sad to go, but also look forward to bringing the lessons and friendships back home.
I can tell you that my life has been changed, and will never be the same after this semester. I will always look back on this experience as being quite possibly the best time of my life.