As you have read in my previous posts, I have always wanted to be a traveler. I wanted to see if the grass was really greener on the other side, which here in Ireland where I’m writing this final reflection…it actually is. I wanted to embrace the world, prove to myself there is more out there than little old Savannah, Georgia. I guess what I was experiencing was wanderlust; I knew there was something more, I was craving it. I wanted to wake up each day with a goal, a purpose: joie de vivre. I was happy, but I knew I could be happier.
As I stepped on that airplane, I looked back for one last time as a tear rolled down my face. A part of me thought, “you can always turn around.” I was threatened for a split second, the safety of the familiar was slipping from my hands. All the ‘what if’ and ‘could be’ flashes appeared in my head, and I turned to embark on the journey of a lifetime. In our meetings before our study abroad, they all told us we were going to change. They said they couldn’t tell us how, but just to know that we would. They were right. Something has changed within me, but it is hard to explain exactly what.
I have traveled through high, twining Tuscan hills with scents of sweet red wine and truffles, ocean coastlines in Positano shining the brightest blue with fresh lemon essence every corner you turn, crowded streets in Paris with the Eiffel Tower always looking over me reminding me how small I am, little hallways in the Sistine Chapel with elaborate paintings by Michelangelo, white and blue backdrops of Santorini, Greece contrasting against the pink orange sky, London’s amazing food markets that give you tastes from all over the world, the green cliffs of Ireland where I gain awareness of higher powers after witnessing something so beautiful, and last but certainly not least: Siena, my second home, a city that offered me more than shelter, but with lifelong friends and memories.
When looking back, and deciding to step on that plane, I couldn’t have imagined in that moment all that my eyes would see. Landscapes painted by God, his imagination sprinkling beauty in every nook and cranny of the lands. Luca, our coordinator at Dante Alighieri, made a joke that when God was creating the Earth, he had a bag of beauty and was evenly distributing it, but God stumbled and accidentally spilled so much beauty onto Italy. He is completely right. Out of all the places my eyes have seen, nothing will compare to that of Italia. Although, I’ll admit I am a bit biased since I lived there and saw all it had to offer. Siena, to me, felt like home. I caught myself after every adventure I had been on, craving to be back home in Siena. Siena taught me a lot about myself. She taught me to be more independent, to be more brave, to be more conscious of my carbon footprint, to love myself more, to be more open minded, and many more unexplainable things I couldn't possibly put into words. She introduced me to some of the kindest people I could have ever met: Rebecca, Luca, Guido, Luca #2, Sonia, Nando, Luisa, Cinzia, Alberto, Francesco, Ishak, Michael, Livingston, Giovanna, Guiliana. I love you all and I thank you for each impacting me in a way I will always remember.
I met people from all walks of life, different ethnicities, backgrounds, and cultures, and they all come together to make up my memories. Everything has a beginning and an end. To think this journey is over, saddens me so much. Time was carried away between each moment of laughter and tears. 4 months has come and gone, but all I take with me now are memories. These memories I will carry until I too become a part of the land; and I hope when that day comes, every little bit of me will travel to the places I loved most so they can become a part of the beauty I once saw.
Thank you Siena, Italy for giving me the best part of my life. I will forever be thankful.
“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” -Chief Seattle
“Things end, but memories last forever.” -Unknown
