My experiences abroad have been plentiful and rich. The cultural enrichment I have gained from living in another country for this amount of time is priceless and reveals to me how immersion in cultures is so important to have worldly viewpoints. I was thinking the other day as I was riding on a bus, about how whenever I used to come to visit Europe as a kid, I would think everything looked so foreign and different. It felt like a whole other world. And yet, now, I realized that Italy didn’t look foreign or unfamiliar, it just looked like where I lived. I think it’s cool how spending time in different places can change completely how you view the world. I have seen art that I never even knew existed, met people who have done spectacular things, traveled to more countries than I could have imagined, and learned hello in a plethora of languages. My time here has filled me with joy, at every moment.

           I see myself as much more of a mature adult now; I feel like I can handle a lot more things than I could before I came here. Academically, I am grateful to have had a semester full of classes that I usually don’t take, and teachers that cared so much about the topics and us. Professionally, I feel like I have gained skills from my travels that will help me immensely, like the different business practices one sees in other countries, and a better understanding of finance on a global scale.

           I will take away all the patience, gratitude, and curiosity that I have gained from these past three months and implement them into my life in Pittsburgh. I am excited to be back on my campus and miss the normality of Pitt. All of the great things I have experienced and learned living in Florence, Italy will stay with me for the rest of my life, and certainly through the rest of my time at Pitt.