For as long as I can remember I have been traveling and loving it. And I can remember the day in 5th grade that I learned about the Peace Corp. From that day on I have been dreaming about and awaiting the day that I can go over to Africa and work with the children that I have come to love through television shows, articles and books. I then learned about study abroad in high school; however with my commitment to volleyball I was not able to do a high school program. It was then my junior year in college that I decided the time had come. My only problem came when I saw all my options on the wall of the OSU study abroad office. It took me quite a while with a lot of consideration as to where I wanted to spend three months of my life...and knowing me, most likely at least a few more. With it narrowed down to a couple of different countries and a pros and cons list for each sitting in front of me, Macerata, Italy was decided upon. It was all down hill from there; the waiting that is. The moment I stepped onto the plane headed for Amsterdam, then Rome, and then finally Macerata about three days later, I knew my adventure had begun.

My study abroad experience is just about undescribable. When I returned and people would ask "How was it?", wanting to know everything and all the details, for the longest time all I could get out was something like "It was amazing, almost unbelievable. Awesome." It took many long nights of reflecting back,
looking at my 4,000 pictures and reliving the memories in my mind to tell myself that this was not a dream and that I now have a story; and a really cool one at that! I was very nervous ofcourse and started packing about a month in advance. I was also very lucky to have a father that could get away for a couple of weeks and start out my journey with me. I know now that I would have been just fine without him and many people do it on their own all the time. But, we got a wonderful trip out of the deal and he was able to see where I would be living. A good way to describe my feelings during my time in Italy is (hypocritical).
Everything seems so different at first and yet I already felt at home. Each minute seemed exhausting and yet I had all the energy in the world and was always on the go; wondering where my day had gone. My Italian friends were so much like me it was scary at times and at others it was as if our cultures allowed for us to have nothing in common. The people are amazing and kind and very, very, complex; the food is the best I have ever had and I never thought that I could ever eat so much of the same things without craving something new (unlike the people, the food is not complex and there is not as much diverstiy in the food in Italy as there is in America); the education is great; the language is as beautiful and intriguing as Hollywood makes it seem (but on TV it does not seem to make any sense and the women always sound like they are whinning).

I made friends that will forever be with me and whose words have changed my life. It is an experience that has changed my life. It helped me look at my education, my career goals, my family and friends, and my existance in general in a whole new light.

My favorite part of my study abroad experience was the opprotunity to not just learn about a culture but to live it. I suppose that is the whole point, but I do not believe that one can grasp the intensity of that concept until one lives it. I liked most the moments that I was sitting in Gennaro, Antonio, Leonardo and Patrizio's kitchen eating a home cooked meal, drinking vino out of a five liter jug that only cost six euro, listening to music (American most likely until I made the request for Negramaro, my favorite Italian artist)...or creating our own, as Italians are always, always singing, taking pictures and figuring out how to communicate to each other our views on life, love, politics, or maybe just what exactly that song means. Or maybe my most memorable moments would be the two hours that I sat in an ancient palace everyday listening to my Italian professor profess his knowledge and views on Italian history, art and culture. As I gazed around looking at the plants in the corner, the fresco's on the ceiling, or my notes in the spiral in front of me. The excursions to famous and not so famous, but spectacular and hidden treasures all the same, are also in the running. The opprotunity to have a local who is passionate about their culture and their land take you all over Italy is one that should not be passed up. I cannot help but acknowledge that the experiences I had and all that I learned, both in the classroom and out, are things that I could never have gotten from a book or even an ordinary tour guide. The study abroad program definitely helped to create all of my most favorite moments.

the rest of the world and the people in it. I feel that people so often get Before I went on my study abroad trip I was unsure as to where I was going with my life. And though I am still unsure of the specifics, I now have the confidence in knowing that I want to do work internationally. What the means exactly to me is still unclear, but at least I have a direction I am moving in, and one that I know I will love no matter what path I take. This experience has not only helped me with my future career path, but also to open my mind, to see caught up in their own day to day lives and fail, or simply forget, to acknowledge everyone else around. Whether my life follows the international path that I have begun to see it taking or not, I know that my international experience will always have a profound effect on my thoughts and actions throughout my life.

I now, after my study abroad experience, have the specific goals of a career that is somehow realated to international realations. I am still allowing myself to be open and to allow things to take a natural path, however my focus will be on a career that allows me to travel and work with different cultures.

To be open-minded and positive. I came across a lot of people in Italy and traveling throughout Europe that, as I spoke with them, I found myself wondering why they were where they were at that moment. They seemed to be very unapproachable, especially to the locals, they acted as if they were inconvienienced by the differences from their country and the country they were in and most of all it was obvious they were not haveing much fun. It is important, no matter where you go, even if it is another westernised country, to remember that you are in another country, another culture, and someone else's home. Be respectful and remember to have fun. Make the most of it. The memories you make, the opprotunities you take, and the lessons you learn are all up to you and the attitude decide to have.