When we last left off, six months ago, I was in Florence, Italy, and still had two months of my journey ahead of me — my honeymoon phase of the study abroad program. It is hard to believe I have been back for four months now, having returned on May 3rd.

I have had plenty of time to reflect on my journey – time that I honestly didn’t really have to write another article while I was there, with balancing all the homework assignments, classes, trips, and my social life in Italy. So, let me catch you up on everything!

In March, I made even more memories that lasted a lifetime. In that month alone, I saw more of the world than I ever thought I would at 21 years old. I took a weekend trip to the scenic canals of Venice. Then, spent my spring break flitting from Spain to Austria by plane, taking an overnight bus to Munich, Germany, where I awoke in fair Verona, before flying down to Catania, Sicily and finally returning to my home in Florence, all in a week.

I’ll be honest, spring break was all very last minute and chaotic, given that there were many mishaps, like booking my flights and hostels on the wrong days – I was overwhelmed, given that this was my first time planning trips for myself. But it worked out in the end, with a little help from my friends I spent spring break with. I would love to revisit some of these places with more of a plan in mind, but I am still so glad that I experienced so many destinations in the first place.

Then April came and I went to some more places that I had always dreamed of: the vineyards of the Tuscan countryside, the seaside villages of Cinque Terre with its turquoise waters (the inspiration for the setting of Pixar’s Luca), an unforgettable weekend trip to the idyllic Amalfi Coast, including the dreamy isle of Capri. I basked in the ethereal glow of the Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto), sunbathed in glamorous Positano, and thoughtfully wandered along the tragic ruins of Pompeii.

In my previous article, I discussed the culture shock of coming to Italy from America. Now, I’ve had to face the culture shock of returning to America from Italy after having been so used to the Italian way of things. It’s not easy coming from the beautiful Renaissance architecture and art to…well, you probably know what I mean.

Students from our district had recently studied abroad for the entire month of July in Paris, France, and are currently set to study abroad with AIFS this fall in London, England, starting this Wednesday, September 4th, until December 3rd. As someone whose life has been changed by studying abroad, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat and urge you all to consider it if it sounds like your kind of thing. To be honest, my biggest regret is not applying for scholarships or saving up enough money ahead of time and subsequently running out of money while in Italy.

To avoid my mistakes and struggles like me, save up as much money as you can and apply for scholarships as early as possible for the next study abroad opportunities in 2025 or beyond.

I understand if you are still indecisive about studying abroad, however, my opinion still stands, even more so than before, “If you are considering studying abroad and have the means, then I say do it!”

I will also advise you that, in the case that you have decided to study abroad or perhaps are already there while reading this, make the most of your experience and be sure to embrace all the opportunities you are given, but don’t forget to live in the moment and just enjoy the fact that you are there. You absolutely won’t regret it. Until the next journey!