Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely way excited to come home in less than two weeks, but now things are starting to settle in that not only am I counting down the days to home, I'm starting a list of lasts for Italy. This is our last weekend in Alba, since next weekend we'll be on our school-sponsored trip to Pisa & Florence. Today was the last time I'd go to Saturday market & get my routine rotisserie chicken and fries. I went out this morning and just took it all in; I breathed in the lovely chocolate Ferrero scent in the air that I already know I'm going to miss; I looked each of the vendors that I went to in the eyes and gave them a sincere smile and thanks, because they're all so nice and friendly; I took a little bit of time to just observe all the people around me, to look at their faces & listen to the friendly Italian banter that is still pretty foreign to my ears.
I know everyone tends to rave about a study abroad semester or year or whatever as a life-changing experience, that you come back a different person, enlightened or something. I would say that I'm definitely still the same person, albeit having delved a little more into the drinking scene than I ever would have at home, haha. I wouldn't say that I've gotten enlightenment, or anything deep like that, haha. I know I keep saying that if there's anything I've learned while being here, it's that I've gained a greater appreciation for home and all that that entails - that even though we've all gotten settled and comfortable here in Alba, it just hasn't really been home. But you know what? No, it may not have the people nearest & dearest to me, but it has provided a place for me to feel secure, a place for me to stay, to get familiar with, a place for me to call "home" without trying to replace my home. Does that make any sense?
Basically, I love this little city. I love the quaint town feel of it, the friendly people, the chocolate in the air, the gorgeous hills and vineyards surrounding it. It really has been the perfect place for me to come for a semester abroad.
Looking back on the last 3 months, (the past year even,) the time really has flown by. I still don't think it's gone by too fast so that I didn't get to enjoy everything, but it has flown by. I remember the most exciting time for me was the first two weeks, when I was reveling in the newness of everything, the exhilarating fact that I had finally made it to Italy. Then, after a while, I think I got a little jaded and used to everything here. I stopped taking pictures of everything I saw, I stayed in a lot because I was lazy to go out, I started thinking more about home than I appreciated being here in Italy. Now that my time here is coming to a close, I'm starting to revert back to my attitude at the beginning of the semester. For the first two weeks, I reveled in the newness of it all; Now, in my last two weeks, I want to take the time to revel in the familiarity of it all, to appreciate everything that I've kind of just looked over in the last couple of months here.
Who knows when, if ever, I'll make it back to Alba? I'm still very much looking forward to home, but I know that this place is always going to have some fondness in my heart, and I'm sure I will miss it once I'm back in the US.
<3
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