My study abroad program ended just about 3 weeks ago, and after a short Holiday break, I am back at DU. It feels good to be back, although a bit jarring. My body and mind are still processing my busy, bittersweet, last week in Florence; the exhausting trip back home; my brief Holiday break spent in bed with the flu; and moving in to my first off-campus apartment at DU.
The surly pigeons of Florence have been replaced by mischievous squirrels, the Renaissance-style stone buildings by brick university halls, the rain by Colorado snow. My program in Italy had no distinct campus, only random buildings spread throughout the city where classes were housed. On the way to my Italian class, I’d casually pass a five-hundred year-old World Heritage Site.
I feel more sheltered here, like I’m a part of a community rather than just another faceless city-dweller. And yet, despite the touristy buzz of Florence, I miss the laid-back Italian culture. In Italy, I was living almost entirely in the moment, not stressing about upcoming assignments or thinking about my future career. Probably that was because I took a break from my major, and the classes I took were much easier than at DU. Already, after just the first week of back at DU, I feel overburdened by my workload and apprehensive of the upcoming weeks of school work.
And yet, I know that I’m meant to be back here. My experience in Florence was generally very rewarding and taught me so much about myself, but I had my time there. I can look back on these blog entries, or the little journal where I pasted ticket stubs and wrote down my observations of Florence, if I want to conjure memories of my time abroad. Florence will carry a special place in my heart from now on, but I’m glad to be back home.
As much as Denver, and the U.S. in general, has its pitfalls, I feel comfortable and at home here. I missed my friends, my studies, my family. Studying abroad gave me the change in surroundings that I needed, as well as a wealth of life-changing experiences and lessons, but it also made me appreciate what I left behind: a community that I feel deeply connected with. I appreciate it all. Now, it’s simply a matter of readjusting.