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Bearcats on the Road

Reflecting on Italy: Some of the Best Days of My Life

Posted by Emily Samara on Sat, May 07, 2016 @ 10:00 AM

image3-2.jpgAs I enter into my final week in Rome, I am overwhelmed with joy. These almost four months have been some of the best days of my life. Not only did I find my new home in Italy, I learned to live on my own, I can say some words in another language, I found THE best gelato place ever, I have seen so much history and I have made some incredible friendships. I was so blessed to be able to share this experience with the people closest to me and show them a place that I now call home. I made my way not only around Rome but to Venice, Milan, Assisi, Florence, Tuscany, Turi, Positano, Sorrento, Capri, Naples, Pompeii, Sicily, London and even Stockholm. And I met family I didn’t even know existed!

I remember being a little girl knowing that my great-grandpa came over to America from Italy. I used to brag to all my friends that I was Italian and that one day my family and I were going to travel to Italy. Well, here I am getting ready to leave the place I have always dreamed of visiting. Little did I know then that I would actually live in Italy and make it my home.

I could not have done any of this without the support of my favorite people who not only came to visit me but were there for me when school was getting stressful or when I just needed to talk.

If you ever are presented the opportunity to study abroad, do not hesitate to do it. Everyone’s experience will be different, but you will learn so much about yourself and what you are truly capable of. Times do get tough, and I am not saying it is the easiest thing to do. But the reward at the end is something that you will forever hold close to your heart.

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Below are just a few of the things I learned during my four months abroad (if I listed them all this blog would be 100 pages).

  1. Using a drying rack instead of a clothes dryer isn’t as bad as it seems.
  2. After many days of cooking, I finally figured out how to cook single portions.
  3. Walking is my new favorite thing.
  4. Traveling alone isn’t as scary as it seems.
  5. I love pizza.
  6. I love gelato.
  7. I LOVE ITALY.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my time in Italy. Thank you again for all the love and support that you sent my way. I cannot wait to see what my next adventure is!

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Topics: study abroad, Italy, travel, Rome, Emily Samara, family, gelato

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In Bearcats on the Road, students chronicle their lives while studying abroad or completing internships away from campus.

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