My experience here in Urbino has been far different than I had expected when I was getting ready to make the trip; different in the best way possible. I came here to Urbino expecting to do the normal tourist stuff, write a couple of stories, and meet some new American people here in the program. I mean, I have done most of that, but I have also done so much more. I have done things I never, ever thought I would do. That right there is the overarching theme in my blogs. Here in Urbino I have broken out of my shell. I have pushed myself into situations that have made me extremely uncomfortable. I’m happy to say, I have no regrets.

There have been so many adventures I have taken that are completely new experiences for me. The first one was the soccer game I wrote about in my first blog, “So now I am in Italy, about to play soccer with a bunch of kids I don’t know; barely able to communicate with them.  For me, there is nothing more intimidating.” In this case, I got over my fear of failure and played. As I said in my blog, I surprised the guys I played with it. Through that game I made several friends. One of the guys I see every day. It’s going to be difficult to leave those friendships behind here in Italy.

Another experience was meeting the Greek girls and bridging a cultural gap, “We spent the whole night getting to know each other on both cultural and personal levels.  It was a  unique experience.  I was really surprised with myself.  Because of my curiosity, I managed to bring two groups together that probably never would have interacted. Bridging the language gap was another fear that I had coming into this program. That night I used what little Italian I knew and made a strong connection with people from countries I never thought I would get to know.

The biggest step for me, as trivial as it may seem, was going to the discotheque, “The day came, and I was supposed to meet my Italian friend (for the purpose of anonymity I will call him Mario) in front of the school at 8:30.  As the time approached, I got more and more nervous.  I was secretly hoping that Mario would not show up.  Going to an all night dance club was something that really intimidated me.” This was an adventure I straight up didn’t want to do. But my Italian and Greek friends kept saying that I was here to experience Italian culture, so they convinced me to go. God, I can’t believe I almost didn’t go. Definitely one of the most memorable nights of the trip.

I came here to Italy with the intention of having no hesitations and no regrets; something I have told myself in the past, but never actually accomplished. This trip has been different. I have proven to myself that I am capable of so much more than I thought. It also has taught me that anything is achievable, you just have to stick your neck out. This trip has made me realize that I have nothing to lose.

Life is a series of little moments in time. Each one unique. Each one as important as the last. But even though each moment is unique, each moment is tied to one another. For example, if I hadn’t become friends with the Greeks, I would have never gone to the discotheque.

Being here in Urbino has changed me. I hope I can take what I have learned here and bring it back home with me so I can continue to grow. Being here has taught me the most important life lesson I have ever learned. A mantra I will live by from now on: No hesitations, no regrets. This is the only way to truly be happy.

La vita e bella.