The reason I wanted to go abroad was because ever since a little girl my dad has always loved to travel with me and he is the one who showed me how to travel. I have always been interested in different cultures and different parts around the world. When I turned 15 years old, my family decided to celebrate my quince and travel to Europe, a dream come true! Not only did I visit Paris, but also, Croatia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Greece and we even drove through Austria. That experience is something I will never forget and to this day, I remember visiting all these places and seeing them through a different perspective. When I am older with a family, I will share this marvelous experience to them and hopefully one day, do the same.
The process preparing for my departure has been very stressful. My mom wanted everything perfect for me and was acting like I was leaving to another planet for years. Even though I am only going to study abroad in Italy for 4 months, I felt very pressured to make sure I packed everything I needed. I also felt overwhelmed with emotions as I said goodbye to my family and friends for 4 months, especially Rollins.
However, I think while I am abroad I will learn many things. I will especially develop skills that I didn’t know I had before and I am definitely excited to experience something so different and learn about the Italian culture at the same time. Of course, I am nervous to live somewhere other than the U.S. but I believe I have traveled to many places all around the world that I have some sort of insight to whatq it is like. I can not wait to explore Rome, the “eternal city”!