I'll admit it. I studied in a foreign country for four months
and didn't pick up the language as well as I maybe should have. In my defense,
I really didn't have to use it as much as one would think.
While studying Abroad in Florence, Italy there was one language
I understand completely: the language of love and affection. My Italian host
family consisted of a husband and wife and the wife's mother. I called the wife
Momma and her momma Nonna. My momma knew a little English, but the husband and
Nonna knew only Italian. Speaking to them and learning from them was so much
fun. As I started to understand them more, their jokes became funnier and our
conversation more two way. Even at times we didn't understand each other, they
always knew I loved them from the hugs and kisses I'd give them.
The same language barrier arose with my Italian biological
family. They only spoke Italian and I could only understand a little bit. It
didn't keep them from loving me, though. Through their hugs and kisses, I knew
I was accepted whether or not they understood what I said and vise versa. It
made me feel happy that at least my love was understood.
Studying in Florence has been a life changing opportunity for
me. I loved making Florence my home and traveling to places on my bucket list.
My favorite part of studying abroad was/is my roommate. Before I
left for Italy, I had a gripping fear that I would be unable to connect with
other people from my program. That fear increased when I got to Rome and sat at
a table for lunch with a bunch of girls I had nothing in common with.
I was pretty bummed at the lack of people's interest to try new
things and do stuff other than drink. A lot of the girls were from sororities
and just wanted to drink and party. There's nothing wrong with those things,
but it was not my crowd.
I opened the door to my hotel room to find my roommate settling
down inside. I cannot recall our first conversation specifically, but it was
probably the normal greeting questions: Where are you from; what school do you
go to; what's your major; have any siblings; do you like chocolate and gelato?
Ok the last question I didn't ask everyone else, but my roommate and I bonded
over our love for chocolate and gelato.
There was something about my roommate that was perfect for me.
Since January 20th, I had spent everyday with my roommate. Not every waking
moment, but everyday we were together when we could be. Everyone asked if we
had known each other before and some people thought we were sisters. She truly
felt a part of me even though we had just met. Our life stories were very
similar which made it easy for us to relate.
Through common interests and a similar sense of humor, my
roommate and I enjoyed many adventures. Some of those adventures involved miles
of walking without complaint and super early mornings. We had unspoken rules
because we both knew you don't talk at 3 in the morning. Every second we spent
together brought me so much happiness even the times we spent relaxing
silently. Words were never needed for her to know how much I loved being with
her.
No,
I don't speak Italian fluently, but I do know how to make someone feel loved
whether there is a language barrier or not. I do plan on practicing my Italian,
though. I wish there were more words I could write to express how
overwhelmingly happy I am with my study abroad experience, but since words
aren't everything I'll just finish with: Arrivederci, Italia!
