There is no place like home.

The last three days of this adventure have been really hard. Goodbyes were never something I was good at. The word “last” was reoccurring with “final” tailing along. Last dinner, last drink, final goodbye, last walk, etc. The people I met on this trip are one in a million, and not being able to see them all of the time is going to be really hard. The teachers, the students, the Italian friends we met, the kids in the other study abroad program, and of course the friendly shop keepers and bartenders have been nothing but kind and welcoming, and leaving them is definitely going to be difficult. I am so lucky to have gotten to know these people and will never forget any of them.

           

            The 24+ hours of traveling:

Macerata to Ancona

Ancona to Rome

Rome to Toronto

Missing our flight

Flight delayed

Toronto to Chicago

Chicago to Valparaiso

When I got to the airport in Chicago,  my family was waiting for me and it was so nice to give them a BIG hug!

When I got home, it felt like I had never left, yet still different in a way. I can’t believe my abroad experience is already over. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime, and one that has changed my outlook on life in many ways. I am REALLY going to miss everything about the little city of Macerata, and even Italy in general. However, just like Dorothy said, there is no place like home.

Thank you to everyone who followed my journey abroad and this blog. It meant a lot to me!