I’ve enjoyed my travels here in Italy. They have really helped to broaden my perspective because I have seen so many new cultures, and a completely new way of life. My travels have helped me realize aspects of my life that I want, need, and also don’t need. What I mean by this is that a change in my way of life (my move to Italy) has helped me realize what’s really important in my life. In leaving Seattle, and my normal lifestyle, I have realized that I can live a more simple life. I do not need so many possessions, and I can basically just live off of what’s around me. I have also realized that removing myself from my normal environment allows me to focus on my surroundings more. I have found that when I’m at home, I have so many distractions. I am constantly worried about all my responsibilities, and making sure that I am involved with all of my friend’s lives. In coming abroad, I have realized that I definitely need to focus on what’s important, and let distractions detract from my schoolwork and my personal health. I also like what leaving Seattle has done to me. I have been able to focus on learning new things about a new place, while knowing that I can always return to Seattle with new knowledge. I have not only left Seattle, though. I realize that living in Rome has created another “home” that I have since left and returned to. At this point on my trip, I have left Rome three times different times, and have come back each time even more appreciative of my surroundings and the comfort that the familiarity of Rome provides me.
Seattle means a lot to me. I cannot tell you how many times I have felt just a little homesick on this trip because I miss certain aspects of my hometown, whether it is my house, my fraternity, my friends, my family, and especially food back in Seattle. When coming to Rome, I have realized how much I miss these things, and more importantly, what is actually important to me back home. As much as I miss it, I am happy about this experience, because I have never had this type of an opportunity before, where I could leave my home and live far away for an extended period of time. These are my experiences in regards to Seattle, but what I think are even more interesting are my experiences in temporarily leaving Rome.
Because I have been here in Rome for over a month now, I feel like I have adjusted pretty thoroughly to my surroundings. Aspects of life that were keeping me from adjusting here in Rome in previous weeks no longer affect me. I feel like I can now really get to know the city and enjoy the city so much because of this. Some things that were affecting my ability to adjust were the language barrier, the overwhelming feeling that I needed to see everything, and the memories from back home. When I first got to Italy, I thought that not knowing the language was going to affect my ability to navigate and get to know the country. I have now realized that I am not going to learn Italian as much as I thought, and I do not really need to. Not knowing Italian has not prohibited me from “experiencing” Italy to the extent that I want to. Leaving Rome and returning here has also engrained this. When I come back to Rome, I feel like I can communicate better, mainly because more people speak English than other places that I have been in Italy, but also because I am familiar with my surroundings, and therefore do not rely on the language as much.
My time is now limited here in Italy. I have less than a month and a half until I return to Seattle; so at this point I am less impatient to see “everything.” What I mean by this is that I realize that I don’t have a lot of time left to see sights in Italy, and am no longer overwhelmed and frustrated that I will not see it all. Basically I have gotten over the frustration of my inability to travel extensively and see as many sites as possible in Italy and Europe. The reality is that I only have a few weekends left, and I have planned my trips, and time accordingly. Each time I return to Rome, I am even more fulfilled because I have just seen more of Italy, and experienced more new and beautiful things. Upon returning home to Rome, I can reflect on the new experiences I have had, and feel even better about my trip as a whole. The barrier of memories from back home has gotten much better. I have been able to adjust well in Rome at this point, because I no longer really miss my family and Seattle, and am just happy to be here. I know I will be home very soon, and see everyone that I initially missed when I arrived in Rome. I guess my feelings now are that I need to savor my time here because it is coming to an end, where in the first few weeks in Rome, I was overwhelmed about how long it would be until I would return home.
Rome has become my new home, so naturally I have been able to adjust and feel comfortable here. I am definitely the type of person that needs “comforts” around me at all times, whether it be possessions or just a bed to call my own. I know everything is safe here in my new apartment, and I have a place to go whenever I need to gather my thoughts. In this way, Rome is my “temporary” home, but I did not really begin to think of Rome in this way until I left it for the first time. After a little over three weeks of being in Rome, I went to Florence to visit some friends. I had a great weekend, but on the train ride home after 3 long days, I realized that I truly missed Rome because it was comfortable to me, and because it was my home.
I do not think I really had this feeling before I left Rome. This is probably because I still felt like I was on some sort of extended vacation. While I was in Florence, I wished I could sleep in my own bed, like I do when I go on vacation from Seattle. This feeling represented a transition in my trip. It took three weeks, but I finally feel like I belong here in Rome. It does not feel like a vacation anymore, but really like I live here in Rome. As well as having a place to call home in Rome, I have also developed a comfort level in my surroundings similar to how I would feel back in Seattle. I know my surroundings, how to get around, and where to go for what I need. It was hard for me to feel confident in navigating the city for the first few weeks, but now I can get around without any trouble, and know places for food, groceries, etc.
After returning to Florence for a second visit, I was familiar with my surroundings, and felt comfortable in the city. When we left Florence for a day, and went to Prato, I felt as if I was really overstepping my boundaries and going to this foreign city. Maybe the reason I felt this way was because Prato was not as exciting, and different from both Rome and Florence, but it seemed like I just wanted to leave and return to a place where I was more comfortable. In coming back to Florence, I didn’t notice a lot being different about the city, but I did go straight to a specific place I knew for dinner, and then went straight to my hotel room to Skype with my Mom. I felt like these were signs of reaching out for something more familiar.
This past weekend I traveled to Venice for Carnival. I noticed how different Venice was from Rome. Venice is a truly amazing and beautiful place. Their churches are a little more ornate and colorful. Their roads are even smaller than Rome’s, and the city is even more confusing, especially with water canals as roadways. I liked Venice, but do not think I could live there, or feel comfortable like I have in Rome. It definitely feels more tourist-oriented. I had a hard time believing that people actually lived there; it just seemed like Disneyland to me. I could not imagine trying to give directions to an apartment there, or even meeting someone for lunch, because there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to their road system. Upon returning to Rome, I felt thankful that I was living in a place that I knew, but again, where I felt comfortable.
My travels have helped me learn a lot about myself, and what I need in order to feel comfortable in certain situations. I have created a new home for myself in Rome, and this has proven itself every time I return to Rome, and feel like I have returned home. Even though I do not know much about Rome, I feel like I do, and I feel comfortable enough, now, to call this foreign place a second home.
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