Goodbye, for now.

"You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place...like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you'll never be this way ever again."-Azar Nafisi

Three months ago, I remember packing the day before I left, and being ridiculously scared for what I was about to do. I was going to a foreign country, where I didn't speak the language, didn't know anybody and honestly, knew nothing about. I cried in the airport saying goodbye to my parents, and all the way to the gate. I cried as the plane was taking off (both in LA and in New York), but then once I got here I was finally excited and a little bit less scared. I arrived in the miniature town of Paderno del Grappa and asked myself the same question about a million times: "Why on earth did I decide to do this again?" Throughout the first week, I had to convince myself every morning when I woke up why I was here and why I wanted to be here. It wasn't easy.

But now I look back on those days and laugh at why I was so scared and dramatic about all of it. Since I did this, I feel like I can do anything. I'm not scared to navigate a subway system in an unfamiliar town, or analyze a map on a street corner in the rain, because I know I can do it easily. And somewhere in between the blur of speeding cars, airplane rides, studying and getting to know new people, I felt at home. I can't remember exactly when it happened, but I know that it did and that is what makes it so hard to leave.

The quote above could not more accurately describe how I feel about all of this. It is so true that part of the reason it's so difficult to leave this place is because I know I will never feel this way, or be the very person that I am right now ever again. But that is almost comforting to me because I know that I am capable of so much more than I was 3 months ago, and that from now on I am going to live my life differently whether I try to or not. Seeing foreign places, embracing different cultures, and meeting foreign people has opened my eyes to the world so much more than I thought it would.

Tomorrow I will be back in The United States for probably a while, but I am already planning my next adventure. I plan to keep this blog going, and comment on experiences and observations that I have. It is a work in progress, but I have been wanting to start a blog for a few years, and I am so happy that going abroad is what inspired me. I have gained an insane drive to travel, and I know I will never stay in one place too long ever again.

Leaving a special piece of my heart here in Italy...
Ciao

Ljubjana

If you're wondering how to pronounce that, it's like "Loo-bee-ana". Basically, the "j"'s are silent.
Some friends and I took a shuttle bus from the Marco Polo airport Friday at noon, and arrived in just under three hours. You are probably thinking, "Why on earth would you go there?"

The truth is I don't really know. But I can tell you that I probably never would have otherwise made it to Slovenia in my lifetime, and I am very glad that I did. Ljubljana was unlike any city I have been to in Europe yet. It was very small, with just a few streets and a river running through the center of the city. It was surrounded by gorgeous scenery. Snow-capped mountains are seen in every direction, and the famous Tivoli Park, which is just outside the center of the city is absolutely gorgeous and unique. It was freezing cold, but we walked around the city and caught an amazing sunset from the top of the Ljubljana castle, which was magical.

I didn't really know anything about this city before we went, except for that one of our advisors is from there, and she's pretty much the sweetest person you will ever meet. There is a whopping total of 2 million people in the country of Slovenia, but you wouldn't believe how proud they are. There is a fascinating history of all the people who have ruled over Slovenia throughout history, and it shows how much that has affected the dynamic of the country.

This trip really made me believe that sometimes, when you are unprepared for the visit and unsure of what you're going to do in a city, your stay becomes that much more enjoyable and exciting. Throughout this semester I have traveled everywhere with a very flexible guideline of things I wanted to do and see while I was there. For Ljubljana, I had none. But that is why I loved it so much because I had no expectations. I hadn't even ever seen a photo of the town or surrounding area. The man at our hostel gave us some recommendations of things to do, though. So we followed his lead and went to the gorgeous castle, took a walk through the park, went ice skating and took a day trip to Lake Bled. There was just one piece of advice that we chose to skip out on--eating horse burgers.

I really have become more adventurous with my eating since I have been living here, but really not THAT adventurous. I heard a guy once say that he refuses to eat anything that could potentially be on a post card. I could not agree with that statement more. Our hostel manager swore that these burgers were delicious and we had to try them, but I am sorry, eating a horse was just not on my agenda.

Though it was a random decision, the weekend ended up being a blast and the nightlife was insane. If you ever find yourself in Ljubljana, go to Cirkus. Sander Van Doorn, a fairly well-known Dutch DJ, happened to be playing the night that we were there, and we were front row until 4 a.m. It was very worth it, and we still had enough energy to make it to Lake Bled, hike, sightsee and eat traditional Slovenian "cream cake" the next day.

So while it may not be on everyone's bucket list, Slovenia would definitely be a trip worth while. It is beautiful when covered in snow and even more amazing in the summer (so I hear).

Lake Bled

Scenic Lake Bled

City Sunset

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

I know Thanksgiving was last week, but with the rush of school and traveling, it seemed that I almost skipped it. It is incredible how much I have to be thankful for this holiday season. In fact, I don't think I have ever had more to be thankful for in my whole life than I do right now.

Over the past three months I have been to 9 countries and 19 cities, stayed in countless hostels, and spent hours on trains, planes and buses. It has been a whirlwind of a semester, but it has made me appreciate things I never did before and see the world in a different way than I previously did. Seven friends and I went to dinner in the nearby town of Asolo on Thanksgiving night. We told ourselves we would go around the table and discuss everything that we were grateful for, and we began talking about how weird it was that we weren't with our families for the first time in our lives.

The first thing I could think of that I was grateful were those seven girls, plus a few more. When coming to Europe, I didn't know one person or have one friend with me. For those of you that know me, you know that I like to spend the majority of my time surrounded by people; I really don't need much alone time in my life. Coming here without someone by my side was challenging at first, but I quickly found myself surrounded by a great group of friends. And while we are going back to opposite sides of the country, I know I will see them again because we have created a bond different than any other. It's insane how quickly you can get to know people by traveling and living with them.

I am thankful for the things I have had. I am thankful for planes, trains and automobiles because this experience would literally not be possible without them. I am thankful for Facebook, Skype, FaceTime and Viber. Without this technology I would have been much more homesick. I am thankful for Italian food and the fact that I haven't (yet) become morbidly obese from eating pasta every day. Yes, every day it is served with both lunch and dinner. That being said, I am thankful for good health. Being the hypochondriac that I am, one of my greatest fears leaving the US was the lack of medicine and proper healthcare in Italy. Luckily, I have stayed very healthy running on very little sleep. I am thankful for alcohol, and it's ability to let me stay out until 6 a.m., keep me warm wandering the streets of Ljubjana and other freezing places, and help me appreciate wine. I am thankful for Diego and his wife at the Tabacchi across the street who make me delicious, fresh sandwiches. And I am thankful for Paderno del Grappa, the teeny little town in which I live, and the amazing Mt. Grappa that I stare at every day out my window.

I am also thankful for the things that I have not had. It is such a true statement that being without something for a while makes you appreciate it that much more. I am thankful for heaters, especially as I sit here in my dorm room typing while wearing gloves. I requested that someone fixed my broken heater, but instead they just brought me an extra blanket...at least they tried right? I am thankful for salad dressing, the English language, stores being open from 1-3, cars, and the ocean. I am so thankful for my friends in Eugene and at home in Newport. You really see who your true friends are based on how well they try and keep in touch when you're thousands of miles away.

I know there is so much more that I have to be grateful for that I cannot mention in just a short blog post. But above all, I am thankful for my parents for giving me this incredible experience. I can't even count how many times over the past 90 days that I have thought to myself, "How am I ever going to thank them enough for this?"I have realized that I can never thank them enough, however I can use the unforgettable lessons that I have learned here, both from my education and my experiences, to shape my future life and career. I am 100% certain that I have learned lessons by being here that I would have never learned had I not spent 3 months outside of the United States. That is what I am most grateful for. I have gained independence, self-assurance, self-awareness, and an extreme drive to travel and see the world, among many other things.

So while I may not have had time to write about it last Thursday, I have been thinking about it non-stop for the past 3 months. I am so so grateful for this life that I live. I can't believe I have just five days left in Italy, but I am going to make the most of it (in between studying for finals) and cherish every last second of this incredible experience. Happy Holidays!

Last Tuesday night, the adorable lunch ladies, for whom I am also thankful, made us a proper Thanksgiving dinner. Not going to lie, it was delicious. And there was pumpkin pie (not pictured).

Yo No Hablo Catalán

Barcelona was absolutely magical, but what fascinated me most was the Catalan independency from the rest of Spain. Upon traveling to Barcelona, I thought I was going to "Spain." But no, I was in fact going to Catalonia. I had heard that in Barcelona they have a bit of a different accent. They say "BarTHelona", etc. But I was very wrong about this. Catalan is not a dialect, it is a different language and is only spoken by the people of Catalonia, which includes the provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona.

Everywhere I went, if I happened to accidentally utter the word Spanish or Spain, I would be quickly corrected by English-speaking locals who would say, "No. You are not in Spain, you are in Catalonia." It was as if they did not want to be affiliated with Spain at all. I learned that Barcelona inhabitants speak Catalan and Spanish, but they think of Catalan as a traditional aspect that separates them and makes them different from the rest of Spain. There are Catalan flags hung on almost every apartment balcony and not once did I ever see a Spanish flag. In fact, Catalonia is trying to become its own country, and is gaining very little support from Spain and the rest of the E.U.

I found this independence to be so interesting because we have nothing like it in America. Everywhere you go in The States, people are Americans and the language they are speaking is English, even if they may have an accent from Boston or Texas. The Catalan people are very proud of who they are, and strive to keep the traditions and history of their region alive. It is really a beautiful thing that they have this sovereignty, but it the divide is a very difficult concept for me to grasp as an American.

All in all, the Catalan people were very nice; some of the nicest people I have encountered since being in Europe. From the gorgeous sunsets on the beach, to Gaudi architecture, to tapas, to the insane nightlife, Barcelona was an amazing time.