Reverse culture shock. Readjustment. These are the things you might not hear about so much when you plan to study abroad. You get all the advice and do all the preparing to go abroad, but what about when you return from the best experience of your life? How do you come back to mundane, unexciting everyday life in the States? How do you return to your old life after a semester of daily adventures and challenges?

Fortunately, my school provided a session prior to our departure to address the issues of reverse culture shock and readjustment. So I had heard about these as well as received a packet of information on what to expect and how to deal with returning from studying abroad. It can be difficult to return to US culture and to friends and family who have not been abroad and cannot understand what you’ve experienced. It can also be frustrating when you feel different and know that you have changed as a result of your experience abroad, yet your family and friends do not recognize or understand this change.

It’s the end of my first week back in the good ole US of A, and looking back at this information I was given, I am trying to see how much of it has been true for me. At first, I was really excited to be back home and for the Christmas season. I think having the holidays here has helped to ease me back into my old life slowly, since there is a good deal of excitement surrounding this time of year.

As the week has progressed, though, I have longed for the excitement and challenges of everyday life abroad. And I miss having people around who have been through this experience with me. It’s so difficult to answer that question that everyone asks when you see them for the first time after being abroad: “So, how was it?!” How do you put into a simple sentence all the feelings and experiences that you had while abroad? “Amazing” and “Really fun” just don’t seem to cut it; but I use them anyways to dismiss the question.

I feel like if you really want to know what it was like, you just have to study abroad yourself. I think that’s the best any of us can say—to truly know, you have to have gone through it. So, my advice? Go through it! Study abroad! Gain an understanding of what this experience is like and how it can change you for the better. I always knew studying abroad would be fun, but how much I would learn and change I didn’t expect. It really was the most amazing time of my life. But don’t take my word for it. Go see for yourself.

Posted by Lisa at 11:38 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I’m home! I made it back after a 10 hour flight from Rome to Newark, passing through Immigration and U.S. Customs, wait time in the Newark airport, and then a 4 hour flight to Texas. I thought I would have been more exhausted after traveling for over 20 hours—not to mention it was 5 in the morning Rome time by the time I got home (after a welcome dinner with my parents). Well, I guess it just didn’t hit me until I laid my head on my bed and closed my eyes. I think I was out in less than a minute. I’ve never slept so soundly!

It’s good to be back, but now I have to face the challenge of unpacking and reorganizing my life here in the States. Right now my room has piles of clothes, gifts, paperwork, shoes, etc. all over the floor. I think I might injure myself if I try to cross it. I guess I should probably get to work. I’d kind of rather sleep, though; or go talk with my family. Ugh—and I thought packing was bad. Unpacking is no picnic either! I’ll write again when I finish unburying my floor!

Posted by Lisa at 07:01 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, I can go home now. I have accomplished my ultimate study abroad goal: find the perfect cup of gelato. And I did. San Crispino. Or Saint Crispy, as we call it. Who this San Crispino is, I don’t know—the patron saint of gelato, I’d presume.

Unfortunately I didn’t have my first taste of the most delicious gelato in Italy until my second to last day there! But I wasted no time. Together with my sister, we tried 10 different flavors in two days. And every single one of them was unbelievable! I think honey, grapefruit, and stracciatella were my favorites.

I was so sad to have to depart with this place after just two days! Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t discover it until late, though. Otherwise, all my money would have easily gone to feed my gelato addiction at San Crispino. Too bad.

Posted by Lisa at 09:40 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Last night I had to do the one thing which I dread most when I travel: PACK! I always procrastinate too, waiting until the last possible moment before beginning to pack. And I knew this time was going to be especially bad since I was going to have to try to fit everything I brought PLUS everything I bought during my semester of travels. The only up-side to it all was that I had my sister’s extra piece of luggage which she had brought for me, packing in just one suitcase herself. If you ever study abroad, I would recommend bringing up a family member for this reason alone! Haha! If not at the end, sometime in the middle of your semester so you can give them some stuff to take home.

So, with some uncorked VinSanto (a Tuscan dessert wine) and biscotti, we began the long process of packing, organizing, and cleaning out the room that had been my home for the past 3 ½ months. To add to the chore of packing, we had to document everything I’d bought with an estimated value in order to be prepared to fill out the U.S. Customs form on the return flight. Don’t forget to do this when you study abroad! It makes things a lot easier when you’re tired after 9 hours on a plane and the flight attendant hands you the Customs form. After a bit of packing, Heather and I both passed out on the bed, our bodies crookedly and strategically placed around the luggage still on my bed.

I woke up a couple of hours later, finished packing, organized trash piles and such, and then laid down for another hour before we had to get up again. We woke up with less than an hour until the airport shuttle was coming, which is what we had planned to do since we just had to get dressed and take the luggage downstairs. My roommate, however, had planned to get up a couple of hours before departure and well, she was still asleep. After waking her, some hustling, and a few trips down the tiny apartment elevator with all the luggage, we made it outside and into the waiting shuttle.

Then our never-ending day of traveling commenced. AND about 22 hours later, I finally was walking into my back door at my Texas home!

Posted by Lisa at 04:37 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)