Four years out: A reflection

So it's been nearly four years since I departed for Rome. In the interest of making this full-circle, I thought I'd write a reflection piece. My final update, if you remember, was when I came home, jet-lagged like crazy, and started crying from culture shock. I attributed to it being too quiet, but thinking back, I think it was because I suddenly understood everything. I was getting good at Italian towards the end, but man, you forget how it feels to understand everything. Every passing conversation, the words on the radio, the billboards, music on the speakers- it gets overwhelming really fast.

So what's changed? I'm graduated now (got that sweet degree) with a real grown-up job. My cat is still around, and her expression is still perpetually anxious. I'm currently re-learning Spanish- I was fluent at one point, didn't use it for a few years, and got rusty.

(And knowing both Italian and Spanish still messes me up sometimes- I start in one and start sprinkling in words from the other)

But how did studying abroad change me? What did I come away with? After a few years, it's a little easier to see. Once you get off the plane everything is so chaotic you don't know which way is up.

• Independence- this is the most obvious one. I was never a shy kid, but I never did things alone. Somewhere, and I'm not sure where, but this shifted a little while I was abroad. I definitely didn't do things alone at first, but by the end I was visiting Sicily totally on my own. Recently, I took a vacation where I traveled to Canada on my own. Everyone seemed so surprised I wasn't going with anyone- but it doesn't even phase me anymore! I used to be so worried about doing stuff alone. Going out to eat, or seeing a movie, but after you travel through Europe on your own it just...doesn't matter anymore. (And for the record, where did this idea you need someone to do things with start? Sure, it's fun, but I kinda like traveling solo. And for stuff like going out to eat- why was I ever even worried about that?)
• A healthy appreciation for Catholicism- I'm still not a Catholic, and not planning on converting anytime soon. But those churches, man. It's like an art museum in every church. Other branches of religion gotta get on their level.
• Traveling, baby. I freaking love it. No matter if it's going to another city a half-hour away, or, as mentioned, going into Canada for a vacation, I love traveling! Exploring somewhere new, learning the local culture, picking up some new vocabulary... I can't wait until I get to see more of Europe. Or even somewhere further! My next big trip is going to be Spain, I think. I want to use my Spanish, finally. Or maybe Ireland- I have this dream of hiking the hills of Ireland.
• "It's a five-mile walk, so maybe-" "Oh, is that all? Let's go."
• I am a much less picky eater than I was when I left. Oh, sure, I still won't eat salad dressing (it's the texture) but I used to want to know every item in a new food before I would eat it. Or I wouldn't try new things at all. I'm much more receptive to trying new things now, especially if it's stuff from different cultures.
• Languages are a passion of mine- I never really knew when I left, although I knew I liked learning Spanish. But since I came back, I've really enjoyed exploring new languages. And that fact about how once you know one other language, the rest come easier? So true. 
• I still like The Godfather movies. Maybe more than I should.
• Honestly, cinema as a whole. I'm so glad I got the change to take some cinema classes in another country. It really gives you a new perspective on film in general. And since I'm a huge movie buff- even more than I was in 2015- it's been great knowledge to have.
• Things here seem so... temporary. Things in Italy are so ancient. And I don't just mean the ruins. The architecture, the culture, the traditions- everything dates back so far. Here in America, the 1800s are considered very old. But it's ridiculously young! It makes you realize how short-lived some things are, and how things that seem like a big deal today aren't going to matter a year from now, much less 100 years from now. In the blink of an eye, the temples of yesterday are the ruins of today. America is such a young county, it's kind of staggering once you realize it.
• I make my own pasta sauce now instead of using the pre-seasoned stuff from the jar. If it doesn't have enough garlic in it to taste it tomorrow, there's not enough garlic.

I miss Italy, sure. Rome is called the Eternal City, and you really get a sense of that eternity. I miss how you can casually hop to another country for a long weekend. I miss the food, dear lord do I miss the food. 

But really, what studying abroad does to you is teaches you to look through a traveler's eyes. Once you get home, everything is different. You find yourself discovering local quirks in your own hometown you never noticed. You want to visit the next city over and see what the local small businesses are. You end up visiting little ethnic celebrations you never gave a though to before (shout out to the Danish Festival in Greenville). 

Once you've seen more of the world, you realize that the world is simultaneously bigger and smaller than you thought. You explore your backyard and find things you never knew, and then you run into someone who lived in the same neighborhood as you in Italy.

There's a lot to see out there. That's how I can sum up my experience. There's a lot to see. And I've only gotten started.

Ciao!