la fine

Today was my last final! It was composition and I thought it was going to be the most difficult, but it wasn’t too bad. My finals have been going on for about the past week and a half, while classes have still been happening, so its not been a fun couple of weeks. First was cinema (better than I expected), then conversation, then culture (also not as bad as I thought it would be) and then composition. Try saying all those class names all the time, the c’s really mess with my head! I’m happy to be done with the exams, readings, and mounds of composition homework.. but I’m not happy that this really means it’s the end. How did we even get to this point; where did the semester go? The first day seems like it was so long ago, yet I can remember specific details and things people said and what it was like meeting everyone for the first time. It feels like we’ve known each other forever, yet that our time together just flew by and that out last days are fast approaching. There are some people here who really want to go home, and I’m kinda glad that I’m not one of them (don’t get me wrong, I am excited, just not longing or hating on Italy). I’m kinda proud of myself that I can deal with being away from home, things and people I miss, things I’m used to and just everything and despite wanting those things or missing or feeling homesick from time to time, still be able to appreciate the fact that I am in ITALY and that there is so much that is amazing here even if its not what I’m used to/what I expect/what I want at the moment. I asked some friends if they would recommend study abroad to others and it got me thinking about my response. Yes, is, of course, my answer, but I probably could have guessed that would be the response even before I came. Study abroad is the best experience. If I could do it every semester for the rest of my college career, or my life!, I totally would. I don’t even think I could list all the things I learned.. its an ongoing never-never ending list, that is for sure. And I got to share this amazing experience with bunch of really cool people who I will always remember, and now we’ll always have that one little thing in common that no one else will really be able to understand (since they weren’t there). I can’t even wrap my head around the rest of my thoughts, probably because its 1 am, I am tired and I am overwhelmed right now. In summary, best semester ever! And I feel lucky to have had such an amazing experience.