Well after 22 hours of traveling yesterday (beginning at 6:00am) which included a flight that was delayed by about an hour and a half, a miscommunication about a flight that I was supposed to get on after missing my first connection, walking between terminals 1 and 3 at the Toronto airport last night at least ten times, making my way to a hotel in Toronto (which was so lavish, two huge beds that were so comfy, soft pillows, and that perfect hotel room smell that I love) to take a much-needed-travelers-shower, watch Home Alone 2 and indulge in the most beautiful buffet breakfast the next morning, then back to the airport to attempt to check into my United Flight to Chicago at 9:55 only to find out I wasn't anywhere in the system, then put on another flight at 4:59 to Chicago, made my way to customs (the most dreaded part of retuning to the US) only to have lovely Canadian customs take away my two coveted bottles of wine, I am now I am finally sitting at gate A15 with a Starbucks(!) and four hours to spare before I make the final stretch in this rather eventful and drawn out return to my homeland.
Finals week came and went and Thursday came and went all to quickly. Thursday our last day in Rome was spent walking around, using every last bit of our Pascucci money even if it meant buying 14 candy bars (one can never have too many Snickers or M&Ms right?), going to the Jesus Steps (La Scala Sancta) where we kneeled up the 28 steps which led up to Pilots quarters and were the steps that Jesus was said to have ascended and descended during His Passion and which was a very reflective and righteously uncomfortable experience, walking through Christmas Markets (Austria's are still better), getting gelato at 3:00pm, Colleen and I sitting on our wall and reflecting over the past three months, getting gelato at 4:30pm, going to our last dinner and enjoying our last plate of Penne alla Vodka, walking to the Vatican to bask one last time in its nightly radiant and mystical appearance, and than going to get gelato at Fridge for the third time of the day at 10:30. All of the girls in the group met up at Fridge and we got gelato, took a group picture and we said goodbye. It was very sad...people were probably wondering what 30 girls were doing crying and hugging while eating gelato, for crying and gelato don't seem to mix very well.
And then at 5:30am on Friday our alarms woke us one last time from our slumbers in room 416 of our albergo home. We got out of bed, got ready, packed our last things and opened the windows to gaze out at Rome one last time. And at 6:30 we were on the taxi to FCO for the last time. And that was it. It has come to an end. I cannot believe it. My study abroad experience in Rome is done, complete, finito and I could not have asked for a better, more life altering, challenging, thrilling and enriching past three months in the heart Rome and four European countries.
I have been sitting here for the past ten minutes figuring out where to go from here because it is impossible to "wrap up" a three month experience abroad but I will try to leave you with a few more words of conclusion.
First things first. These are just a few of the things I am going to miss after living in Rome for 90 days: going to sleep and waking up to the constant but rhythmic hum of noise outside our hotel window, clean sheets and made beds every day, living in a hotel, asking for key 416 every day, disregarding traffic lights when crossing the street (who pays attention to those anyways), lovely Pascucci money that always manages to flutter to the ground in my hasty attempt to pull out money for my orange juice and cornetto every morning, massive churches on every corner that you can just walk into and sit down and pray in, Fanta (European Fanta is not American Fanta), stopping in at a cafe and ordering a cappuccino that I swig down in 2 minutes, gelato, nightly walks that are only complete after a stop for gelato at Fridge, finding cute scarves in basically any store, European fashion, 2 euro coins, 1 euro coins, wine, sexy wine, unlimited wine, pasta (specifically Penne alla Vodka), salad (aka leaves with oil and salt on them), the wonderful waiters from the restaurant next door, the fact that a 30 minute walk someplace is totally reasonable, sitting on our wall on Largo Argentina and people watching, actually not caring about classes, not studying, listening to Italian's interact, casually walking by famous monuments every day, studying in Rome, living in Rome...
Being abroad and away from America and the American way of life for three months has made me realize that I have developed a bond, an everlasting connection with Rome and Europe. There is something in me that makes me feel like I belong there now, that I know their way of life, I know the people and am accustomed to their way of life and that when I return it will be like reconnecting to an old friend who you respect and know so much about yet still have lots to discover. The people that I interacted with, the history that I was taught and learned to appreciate so much (most of it), the exquisite food that I ate every day, the infinite amount of walking that we so naturally did, the different cultures of the European countries, the lifestyle of the Italians, and the personality of Rome are all things and experiences that I will remember but will fade as time goes on, however the feelings that these experience created and placed within me will always remain and it is these feelings that will enable my study abroad experience in Rome to always be with me and will influence how I see the world and how I interact with people and impact my future as a now more globally aware and international student. These memories may fade, but pictures will remain and the feelings will remain and so I am most eager to see (in about a month or two) how my experience abroad has really impacted me. How will it affect how I view situations, how I interact with different people, my approach to situations and my approach to how I want to carry out and plan my future. That my friends is what I am most anticipating in the effects and impact of my study abroad experience.
Here I have to give a shout out to my fellow Saint Mary's girls who made my abroad experience just so wonderfully full of life, adventurous, hilarious, intellectual and loving. 34 girls on the trip total. I probably really knew only about five or so of the girls coming in and by the end I was able to give each girl a hug and feel completely appreciative of the way that she personally impacted my time in Rome (small or large). The smaller group of girls that I became close to are some of the greatest girls that I have had the joy of meeting. Each one so different from the other but each genuinely kind and caring for her fellow friends. We all spent so much time together (basically the whole of 90 days together for we were always with one another in class, eating, traveling, sleeping, studying, eating gelato, shopping you name it and Smick was likely by my side) and we all probably saw the best and the worst of each other but I honestly left Rome knowing that those friendships I built are some of the best and lasting friendships that I will forever cherish. There is something about traveling and seeing the world with friends that adda a closer connection and a tighter knit feeling than say just going to school or living with them at a campus in the US. So to all of the SMC Rome Fall 2013 girls, you are incredible and all individually fantastic in your own way, and to my little wolf pack y'all are the best and I love you so very much and I cant wait to see how we take on SMC South Bend together.
Finally, the ability to study abroad is only possible with the help and sacrifice of so many people and so I am continually and eternally grateful to those people, my family, family friends, and professors back at Saint Mary's South Bend, as well at Saint Mary's friends of mine who get to put up with my 24/7 ranting and raving about Europe (sorry not sorry) ;)
In the words of a fellow Rome Smick, upon returning to the States one should be broke, exhausted and happy and boy is she right. I should probably put out a jar to begin collecting coins for my next trip to Europe....that is after I pay back my parents from all the money they lent me because I spent all of mine on gelato :)
Complete immersion into the USA begins in about five hours and so the affects of reverse culture shock will begin settling in and I am eager to see how I will handle it!
I am fully anticipating my acclimation back into life in Indiana and life back with my family and in a few short weeks life back at Saint Mary's in South Bend. It will be challenging at times but I know I will also find comfort in a lot for there were quite a few things I did miss about home that I will never 100% fess up to but yes, US I did miss some things about you.
One thing is for sure, I cant wait to crack open a Diet Coke, Coke Zero is not Diet Coke don't let anybody tell you otherwise. I also cant wait for butter on my free bread, unlimited win..I mean water at restaurants, and the concept of take out or to-go cause to-go or "porta via" in Rome is not something people do. People do not get pizza and veg in front of their TV's at home in Rome and so I will do that just because I missed doing that. Also mom when I give you a weird look when you tell me we are driving to the store please excuse me. I almost forget what its like to sit in a car, let alone DRIVE.
As soon as I get home and sleep and unpack my life I am turning on Christmas mode and am gonna let Christmas distract me from my depression and Rome withdrawal. Pretty sure I will be fine until mid February and than real struggle is going to hit and I am going to have to find some way to cope... but until than I will have plenty of distractions to keep me sane.
I want to thank you all so very much for reading my blog and following my adventures for three months, y'all are all troopers because I always manage to write way to much. I hope you have enjoyed reading as much as I have recalling all of my adventures and I hope that if you are a student reading this that you are making your four year plan or how ever many year plan right now and are making room to study abroad :D
I wish everybody a peaceful, relaxing and joyous Christmas and may 2014 bring new opportunities and times for growth and exploration in your lives.
Maybe I will be back in a couple of years with my adventures in Europe part #2 so do not stray too far if you wanna keep in touch. Until then, happy traveling where ever life is taking you and happy living because life is wonderful indeed.
BUON NATALE and a happy 2014!
Andree
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