Now that I am no longer in Italy, I am very sad. It's hard to wake up and feel like 24 hours, 48 hours ago I was in freaking Italy. It sucks to go back to reality. It really does, I loved seeing my family, but I wish that trip never ended. the flight from Florence to Paris was alright, it was sad saying Arrivederci to Italy though. Then from Paris to LA, it was sad saying goodbye to Europe. Although going through customs was easy as hell, because they don't really care what you have on you. Now onto my reflections...
Studying abroad was the experience of a lifetime. I have never lived by myself away from home, so that was different. From buying my own groceries, hang drying laundry, cooking for my roommates, cleaning the toilets, it was all new to me. I realized with the great roommates I had, that living away from home isn't too bad at all. We all had a shared responsibility, we all got along excellent with each other. It was a sad morning saying goodbye to Chris and Mike who had their own travel plans after the trip. Buying groceries in Italy was a weird experience having to pack your own stuff, having to buy groceries that look vaguely familiar. I'll never eat that much excellent fresh fruit like I did in Italy. The fruit there was amazing from the grocery stores to the Central market. I'll miss the Gelato for sure. They have a decent gelato place in Fullerton but it doesn't come close to Italy. The peach flavor gelato was so amazing. I'll miss being able to drink legally in Europe. From ordering a Moretti my first day there, to drinking a Moretti my last night. I'll miss being able to walk around and drinking. From drinking hard alcohol to wine to sangria to Moscata, I'll just miss being able to be legal and drink. I'll miss going to bars and pubs and chatting with fellow Americans. I can't do this for a whole another year :( I could careless about the club scene really, but it was a great place to meet other American students. I'll miss the proscruitto crudo and the excellent various types of pasta they had. I learned how to eat things like Caprese, Gnocchi, etc. I probably won't eat pasta for a while, but I'll learn to appreciate how much I miss it.
I'll miss being able to walk out of my apartment and see buildings built in the 16th century. From the Santa Croce church to the Piazza Della Signoria. I'll miss walking by those buildings every day. I miss just walking around the cities in general and there being historical sights everywhere. I'll miss all the Michelangelos, Donatellos, Rafael's that were just right there all around the city. I'll never see all that art again probably. I learned how to appreciate art a lot more in person, than from seeing it in a slideshow in an art history class. I'm going to miss walking off my dinner, eating small portions, and losing weight.
My Italian trip was a history, art, and religious trip for me. I'm not religious but I saw so many Christian things a pilgrim dreams of seeing. From the mosaics in Ravenna, a piece of the Holy Shroud, all the various relics from a piece of the true cross to a piece of the crown of thorns. All the entombed bodies on display, the famous religious art from the last supper to the Sistine Chapel. All the Italian churches I saw from St. Peter's Church to the Florence Duomo. All the famous sculptures and artworks I saw from the David to the Birth of Venus to the Venus di Milo at the Louvre. All the famous roman stuff from the coliseum, to the equestrian statue of Marcus AUrelius, Pompeii, to the area where the circus maximus once stood. I'm glad I saw all the tombs I saw from Galileo to Michelangelo to the Medici's family tomb.
I traveled Italy as much as I could since there is so much history there, I feel like I sort of touched the surface. I had a great time on all my trips from Paris to Naples. I loved the modern cities of Torino and Milan, yet they had so much history there. I loved the harbor feeling in Naples and Genoa. I loved the great views of the Alps in Torino. I loved all the Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna. I loved being able to go to another country in San Marino. I'll miss being able to take a train and go to another city. The train system there and in Europe is something that I wish California had. Being able to go to Rome, 1 hour and 45 minutes away was just so awesome. The Eurail train pass was the greatest thing ever. I pay 228 euros for 10 days, and I probably used like 600 euros or more worth of train tickets.
I'm not going to miss the immigrants in Italy though. The berbers selling stupid goods like pieces of art that have nothing to do with the city they're in. Trying to sell you bird seeds for pidgeons. The stupid Romanian gypsies rubbing their stomachs begging for money. The Senegalese trying to sell you fake bags, glasses, etc. I could not care for kebabs, especially since I don't like that stuff, I hated falafel in NYC, etc. The Indians selling the dumbest toys ever late at night. I seriously wish Italy did deport these idiots who add nothing to the country except selling goods that nobody wants.
I'm thankful that in America we get more than one ice cube in our drinks. I'm thankful in America we have free refills, more soda flavors than coke, sprite, or fanta. I'm thankful for fast food. Thankful for being able to customize an order at Mcdonalds. Not that I plan on eating there for the rest of summer.
This trip was an eye opener to me. I learned how to meet new people, how to buy groceries for myself, how to live with other people, how to catch a train somewhere, how to walk around a city armed with only a map. I'm going to miss so much on this vacation. From historical sights to art to being able to drink legally, it hasn't hit me yet how much I miss Florence, Italy, and Europe.
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