I am very much a homebody, I never really had the desire or the ability to travel, but for some reason, Italy was calling my name. SCREAMING IT. I am pretty sure the Lizzie McGuire movie had a lot to do with it. There was only one way that I knew that I could possibly be able to travel to Italy and that was through study abroad, and when I realized I was graduating a year earlier than expected, I had to do it before it was too late. I walked into the study abroad office at my school and started looking around at the programs. I met with a study abroad advisor and told him I did not have the money to afford the program but I wanted to go to Italy. He basically laughed in my face and said “well then you can’t go?” with a confused look and a smirk.
I was certain that that was that, I was sad, but I decided to find a way. The details of how I found the program I participated in are a little fuzzy, all I remember is knowing of a girl I knew going on the program I wanted to go on. Her name is Felicity, and I had her on Snapchat by coincidence. As the program deadline approached I was hesitant on signing up, they asked for a $400 deposit and that was A LOT to ask of me at the time. I reached out to Felicity and asked her if she signed up and how she was going to pay for it. I remember her saying, “I don’t know but I’ll figure it out.”
It suddenly became clear to me that if I did not take the chance, I was not going. I signed up without knowing where in the world the money for the trip was going to come from.
Previously to this, I had two jobs, as a barista and in one of the university offices. I had JUST quit my barista job in order to focus on my school work more since I was in my last year of university but I quickly realized I had to ask for my job back… and pick up another if I wanted to afford this trip.
I did it, there was a lot of hard work, hours put in, and saving money involved as well as a good deal of manifestation of $ involved (convo for another blog), but regardless there I was December 26th, 2019 boarding a plane Houston->Amsterdam->ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The experience I had in Italy was PRICELESS.
I always felt like there was something waiting for me in Italy, but all that was waiting for me was a good time, lots of pasta, and some life lessons.
Here is what I learned:
1. It’s already figured out
My first lesson is one that I learned even before landing in Italy. Everything is already figured out, and every single thing can be figured out. There is a way. Yup, I worked my butt off to be able to go get on that plane, but also I can say there was some divine intervention along the way. Leading up to the trip I was worried about money, I could not figure out how to afford it, I had already made the commitment and I was pretty much freaking out. A lot of people say “don’t tell people your plans, show them your results,” while I believe this to be true in some circumstances, my experience has shown me differently many times. Upon my stress talk about the cost of the trip, I had two people offer to loan me the money to go, and I’m not talking 20 bucks, I am talking about thousands of dollars- I was so grateful for their offer and I seriously considered it. I did not end up taking the money but it was an option and it showed me that one way or another I was going to make it on that plane. I had so much resistance to taking out a loan for this trip-I swore I was not going to do it, but all it took was one conversation to change my mind. I already mentioned it, the experience I had in Italy was PRICELESS, and this is precisely what I was told. While having a conversation with someone that was older than me that worked at the university she told me that what I was going to experience on that trip was priceless that I wouldn’t be thinking about how much I spent on it in 5 years, but the memories would stay with me forever, and suddenly it became easy for me to get the money. She was right too, my short time in Italy changed my life forever.
2. Slow it down
Right before leaving for Italy, I was very caught up in the stress of wanting to graduate with a full-time job offer. When I was walking the streets of Italy, dressed cutely and eating a chocolate croissant, none of that mattered. Other countries live a slower-paced lifestyle without a set timeline for life events. I learned to slow down, and this was one of my favorite lessons learned that I try to remind myself of eachday.
3. The climb is high but the view is great
In the wise words of Miss Miley Cyrus, “it’s the climb.” I climbed up about 30 minutes’ worth of stairs to get to the top of this building. I was sweaty, I was cold, I was grouchy, I complained about the way up, but I made it, and the VIEW, it was so worth it. Then and there at the top of that building overlooking all of Florence, it felt like anything was possible, and it is.
4. Your reality is somebody else’s dream
When in Rome…as my friends and I strolled Rome, we stumbled upon @lostfoodfactory a panini shop. The conversation I had in that shop is one I will remember forever. It was owned by a couple and their son. We, the obvious-looking Americans, were asked where we were from and were told by the family that it was their dream to travel to the United States and they hoped that one day they would be able to. I thought they were the luckiest people because they get to witness Italy’s beauty every day, and I worked so hard to get there. It really puts things into perspective-now I admire, appreciate, and I am so grateful for anywhere in the world I find myself to be.
5. Getting lost is ok
Being truly alone in a different country where you don’t know the language and look like an obvious tourist is a different type of scary. Our class was divided into groups of 4 all throughout Florence. As a fan of grocery stores, I wanted to check out the Italian grocery stores. I went by myself, and I got lost. I did not have the internet on my phone either because I did not set up my international phone plan (pls do this before you take off to a foreign country), so there I was lost in Florence at night time, I don’t really even remember how I got back…intuition I suppose?
I also got lost as a group with my friends, we rode a bus throughout Rome for 2 HOURS not knowing where we were, but at least I can say I got to see ALL of Rome. You may get lost, but you will find your way back.
6. Peer pressure is good–sometimes
I was trying to make my spending money last my whole trip, and I was mindful of what I bought and ate and all that (still had some deep limiting beliefs around $-working on it!). My time in Italy was coming to an end, and we were in Venice- famous for the gondolas, so of course, I wanted to get on but I was saving my spending money for lunch, however, my friends really wanted to get on and I told them to get on without me. My friend even offered to pay for me, after she offered, I told her “it’s not about the money,” even though it was and then I caved and got on. I am so grateful for this instance of peer pressure. This moment is so memorable to me because not only did I get to take a really good picture, but once again I was limiting myself when I was supposed to be having the time of my life. Money used to stress me out A LOT, but now I know it allows me to have beautiful experiences that I deserve to have.
7. Make them stop and stare
Was it worth it for the picture? I think YES. This is by far my favorite picture of me, it was only made possible by 2 friends (the same 2 friends from above) and me taking off my pants in public on the streets of Venice and using my scarf as a skirt. The point is… it does not matter how crazy you may look, or what others will say. Do what you want and you will make some great memories.
8. It’s never too late to try something new
In Rome, while at @lostfoodfactory the owner was telling us that before it was a panini shop, he used to be a locksmith in that very shop. He told us he always wanted to make paninis while he had been a locksmith for 20+ years. He went from being a locksmith to a panini shop owner and his panini shop is very successful and his paninis were delicious. It was a great reminder that at any point you can choose to change direction. How will you know if it will work out if you don’t try?
The two friends 🤍
Picture was taken by a German family who then Whatsapp’ed us the picture!
