Just as I had hoped, my weekend in Florence was spent doing typical Italian things- eating gelato and pizza, visiting the Duomo and Piazzale Michelangelo, shopping in the markets and wandering the streets. Without a doubt, one of the greatest findings in all four months abroad was "The Secret Bakery". At two o'clock in the morning, we were able to wander down a side street, knock on an unmarked door, and be greeted with a warm Nutella croissant for only one euro. It was here that I decided that I was somewhat thankful that I did not live in Italy permanently, because there is no way I could have self control when it comes to late night hunger and The Secret Bakery. Number two on my list of Cool Things that Happened in Florence is the fact that I met Ed Helms (!!!!!!) from The Office. With all of the celebrities that visited Rome during my time there that I did not get to meet, I was happy to say that I did meet one before I returned home.
Returning back to Rome, I was quickly faced with the realization that I had less than two weeks left in this city. I reassessed my "Study Abroad Bucket List"- I jotted down places I absolutely had to see before my departure back to the states and crossed out the places that I unfortunately would not have a chance to see. Determined to complete this list but also facing time constraints and the stress of final exams, I set off to finish as much as I could in such a short time frame.
I spent my last couple of weeks in Rome visiting some extremely touristy places that I (surprisingly) had not yet seen. Though it took me almost four full months, I was able to see the Vatican and the Colosseum (both beautifully decorated for Christmas). I woke up at 6:00 to see the sunset from the top of one of my favorite spots, Gianicolo Hill. I said goodbye to some of the people in the area who I had grown close to and had been so used to seeing on a daily basis. As my last night approached, I was just as sad about leaving Rome as I thought I would have been. The semester had been, without a doubt, the greatest four month period of my entire life. I knew that I was so lucky, but that did not make it any easier to say goodbye to this place and the people I had met.
As I walked around Rome on my last night, crying and saying my goodbyes to the familiar faces, I felt so overwhelmed by just how lucky I was. I found it ironic that I was fortunate to feel such sadness about leaving these people and this city. The fact that it was so difficult for me to leave proves how meaningful it was to me to be able to be there in the first place. My experience was so wonderful that I was sad to leave it behind- so how lucky am I to have loved it so much? 6 countries and 14 cities all in 4 (short) months. At age 20, this is something I will be able to reflect on with nothing but fond memories for the rest of my life. I have seen places, done things and met people that I had only dreamed about up until my arrival in Italy. To all of the people who made it possible- I am forever grateful for you. You gave me the experience of a lifetime and it is one that I will never forget for as long as I live. Thank you for following my experiences abroad, it has been one hell of a journey.
To the trip of a lifetime, evviva.
- Alissa
