Whenever times change, for better or for worse, I’ve heard people say, “It’s something in the weather.” Well, spring has sprung here in Italy
With less than two weeks left, school is rapidly becoming more stressful and assignments are piling up; however, the Paderno campus is livelier than ever. Wednesday was the first true spring-like day, with the temperature in the upper 60s, the sun shining, the grass freshly cut, and the clouds away. Conveniently all classes were cancelled for Thursday because the school offered an optional field trip. I have class at every morning, and the bus was departing at 8, so I made the executive decision to treat myself to sleeping in and then climbing the feared and infamous Mount Grappa
The sunshine brought nearly the entire undergrad community together. People were coming out to the sports fields before, between and after classes. The laughs never stopped. I found myself lounging in the grass, eyes closed, sun beaming on my face, reflecting on my time abroad. The initial day, missing my train; waking up to the roosters for the first time; aimlessly exploring the nearby towns; missing more trains; the cuisine; the new friends; the old friends. My time here has been amazing and flown by all too quickly. It put a pit in my stomach thinking that it took practically three months to get the whole slew of students together for something non-school based. Since being over here, I’ve found that nature has a way of doing that. Whether it’s walking the countryside, laying on a beach, climbing a mountain, or roaming the city streets, it is when you’re in the outdoors, surrounded by others, that you tend to feel most connected.
When the sun began to set on the booming Dolomites, no one was ready to end the day. So we didn't. The local pizzeria, A Sole, was packed - everyone wanted to escape the cafeteria pasta and celebrate the day with a drink. From the looks of things (and people) come Thursday morning, the concensus was Wenesday was a little too successful. Pink noses kissed from too much sun, and eyes heavy from too much vino. None of that stopped any of us from having an equally fabulous Thursday, though. I made the tiring, but rewarding, trek up Mount Grappa and was more than pleasantly surprised when I could see all the way to Venice from the peak. It was incredible. The Italian horizon seemed to virtually never end. Patches of town followed by rolling hills painted the skyline.
When I finally arrived back at campus, the sun was hitting that special brim on the mountains right before it slips away into the evening night. Kids were yelling, basketballs flying, dogs barking - a good and perfect day in paderno. ANother night out made for another challenging Friday morning, but the promise of Cinque Terre was in the air, and my spirits were high. I can honestly say that Saturday day spent on the Monterosso beach was my favorite day of the semester thus far. There were between 60 and 70 other students in Cinque Terre for the weekend and by late afternoon all of us were parked on the Monterosso beach together, an unforgettable afternoon.
As excited as I am to get home to my family and friends, the idea of leaving Paderno and my new friends is almost devastating. Just when everyone gets truly comfortable with one another and "life in Italy" is just...life, it's closing time, and we have to pick up and leave. I feel so blessed to have had the experience I did while here. I learned more about myself than I even imagined and I feel as though in some ways I have changed, and for the better. I have new interests, appreciations and understandings. I would not change my time abroad for anything. I'm not in Kansas anymore, and my time to go back is swiftly approaching, but I promised myself two things. One: to take back my memories and never forget them. Think of them frequently, smile in the remembrance, but not to live longingly in the past. Two: as busy as I am going to be for the next 11 days, I will soak up every moment I have left. Every time I spend in the classroom, with a friend, eating, traveling, running - every time, all times I will be appreciative of the time I have left.
When I finally arrived back at campus, the sun was hitting that special brim on the mountains right before it slips away into the evening night. Kids were yelling, basketballs flying, dogs barking - a good and perfect day in paderno. ANother night out made for another challenging Friday morning, but the promise of Cinque Terre was in the air, and my spirits were high. I can honestly say that Saturday day spent on the Monterosso beach was my favorite day of the semester thus far. There were between 60 and 70 other students in Cinque Terre for the weekend and by late afternoon all of us were parked on the Monterosso beach together, an unforgettable afternoon.
As excited as I am to get home to my family and friends, the idea of leaving Paderno and my new friends is almost devastating. Just when everyone gets truly comfortable with one another and "life in Italy" is just...life, it's closing time, and we have to pick up and leave. I feel so blessed to have had the experience I did while here. I learned more about myself than I even imagined and I feel as though in some ways I have changed, and for the better. I have new interests, appreciations and understandings. I would not change my time abroad for anything. I'm not in Kansas anymore, and my time to go back is swiftly approaching, but I promised myself two things. One: to take back my memories and never forget them. Think of them frequently, smile in the remembrance, but not to live longingly in the past. Two: as busy as I am going to be for the next 11 days, I will soak up every moment I have left. Every time I spend in the classroom, with a friend, eating, traveling, running - every time, all times I will be appreciative of the time I have left.
Sunset on the Dolomites from my room
"The Jesus Field" before the festivities
Nearing the top of Mount Grappa
Monterosso Beach
