It's hard to believe that it's already the end of August, and I am 7 months into this great adventure. Like starting anything for the first time, there is absolutely a period of adjustment and I think that I have finally settled into a routine that feels right, which makes me even more excited for my final four months here. There were points over the past several months where I really questioned if I had made the right decision when I came to Italy in February....considering I arrived with no place to live, not much direction when it came to my job, and found myself alone in a huge apartment with too much time to think. At the end of the day I know that I live in Tuscany (which is incredible), but I have definitely learned that studying abroad and working abroad are two completely different ball games. It's like choosing to go to medical school in the most beautiful place you can imagine, only to find you have to look at it through a classroom or library window without having much opportunity to really get outside and enjoy it.
However, now that I have a better understanding of the way that OU's program works and what is reasonably expected of me (reasonably being the key word...which for me will inevitably still mean saying yes to things not exactly included in my job description)I am really looking forward to taking a few weekends to explore some places I have been dying to see, without feeling like I need to apologize for it. We'll see how that goes...but I'm in one of those moods to make my plans a reality and when that happens, things seem to work themselves out. It's nice to have that motivation back.
Spending almost two full weeks with my parents just before getting started with the semester was exactly what I needed, and I was so happy that they were able to visit-love you, mom and dad! I am so lucky to have the family that I do...I couldn't imagine many other people with the kind of patience and understanding that they have. We had a great time, visiting several places that I've already seen...but it is always so worth it to be with someone who is seeing it for the first time. Italy can be a rollercoaster at times...it has this power to be completely magical, and then beyond frustrating in a matter of seconds. But, inevitably, after a day of being treated like a tourist, or ignored at a cafe, or sold a lobster in your pasta only to find out it cost 100 euro at a place where everything was under 15 (still sorry, mom and dad!), you find yourself turning a corner and experiencing the most breathtaking picture of sheer beauty-whether it's a field of sunflowers, a quiet street in the middle of a busy city, the sun setting over tuscan hills, or a friend's family treating me and my family like part of their own around a dinner table. I think I just teared up for a second. Thank you, God, for all the amazing things and people You have allowed me to be a part of, even when I lose perspective for a little while.
I spent all day Saturday in Rome picking up the new students for the fall semester, and today and tomorrow will be with them at school for orientation. I will feel so accomplished if I can find a way to give them half of the joy that Italy has given me, and I hope to leave this semester with no regrets and feeling ready to come home. It will be interesting to see where the 1st of the year takes me. For now, though, I'm staying in the moment, enjoying every second (except the ones immediately following a dinner 3 times the size of my stomach), and hoping to do my best. A little pressure was never a bad thing...so lets see what I can fit into 120 more days!
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