After recently accepting a summer job, a new on-campus position for the Fall, and getting back into applying for research grants, it’s becoming more and more evident how little time I have left on my study abroad journey. One month from today marks the official end of my program, though I will be staying one month longer to continue traveling and spend one last month with my wonderful friends and host family. The feeling of returning back home and jumping into a daily routine is both comforting and absolutely terrifying. I have fallen, head over heels, in love with Sevilla. I didn’t realize how much pride I hold for this place until last night, despite knowing very little about soccer, when I was singing, smiling, and waving a Sevilla FC scarf to support the team.
Before leaving in January, I remember being pretty nervous about what a semester in Spain might look like. I told myself that nerves and excitement go hand-in-hand and that being scared means you’re about to do something really brave. Traveling can be lonely and scary, but it is a luxury and a privilege that I am so grateful to be experiencing.
Last weekend, I flew to Tuscany and stayed with my grandparents in a beautiful villa. I felt connected to my Italian heritage as we ate dishes that reminded me of my mom’s cooking and my grandpa corrected our poor pronunciation of Italian words. To be fair… gnocchi is incredibly hard to say. We stayed up late each night sitting around a small table, playing cards, listening to Dean Martin, and calling for recounts.
Beautiful moments, like this, that I keep having this semester are so hard to describe. They just need to be felt. I think part of the fear of returning home is that I may not experience moments that feel as powerful and meaningful. However, I am beginning to loosen my grip on this worry as I realize that the moment wasn’t lovely because we were in Italy but instead, lovely because we felt joy in simply being with each other. Wherever you are, be all there. This is something I can and will continue to practice when I come back home that I know will enrich my life tremendously. It just so happened that it took studying abroad for me to realize it.