When studying abroad, I was surprised by how slow-paced the lifestyle in Italy was. Whether it was going up to pay for the check or trying to go into a certain store during “riposo”, an early afternoon break for shops, the average person lived a more relaxed and conscious life. People took pride in seeing the beauty and joy in their everyday lives. For example, going for a walk in the park every day or having a four-hour long dinner to remind themselves to be present in the moment and remind them what really matters in life. Every interaction with another person was taken with the gratitude of having loved ones to support them. Growing up with the hustle, consumeristic culture of the United States, this way of living was definitely something to get used to and promoted a sense of appreciation for things and people I hold dear in my heart. Many people never have the chance to travel to a different country than their own, let alone live in one. This made sharing the memories I made abroad with people back home a bit difficult because this dream is not only mine. My friends and family aspire to travel and hold moments with people from around the world, but fear, money, commitment, and time hold them hostage. Seeing this pushes me to value my youth because it is a time when I can make mistakes and learn from them. I have the ability to spend the summer working extremely hard at two jobs while living at home rent-free to be able to afford to study abroad and see the payoff in life experiences. From a different perspective, being able to achieve this dream is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I hope to strive to work in the travel industry and possibly live abroad again after graduating from grad school. This experience has also inspired me to graduate early and live in Australia for five months by taking homestay jobs. Additionally, I was able to apply for a field study in Copenhagen and Stockholm to study the life of Vikings this semester. I even thought of not having one set home in my early twenties and finding a remote job so I could move to different countries every few months to constantly be exposed to different cultures, beliefs, views, and backgrounds. All of these upcoming experiences may be viewed as unpractical, unstable, unreasonable, or ridiculous to people at home because I’m not choosing to find a set steady career where I sit behind a desk with a nine-to-five job every weekday. I just believe everyone should be passionate enough to live their dream, and no matter what that dream is, it will take a lot of work but will be worth it. Sharing the memories made abroad has pushed me to be unapologetically myself and not be pressured to do what is “socially correct” in a certain society because every country views life differently. I can live the travel life I desire and break out of the mold of the structural path created. However, with this action taken, I must understand that I am forging my own path, which means there may not be a right or wrong choice; I just need to take leaps of faith and trust my intuition to carry me through life.
