Fazed by the memories

My last final of the semester was two weeks ago. An Italian oral where I had to answer a question about my experience in Florence. A heavy question filled with different emotions, accomplishments, tears, and adventures. Each season I experienced something new. Each falling leaf, drop of rain and cloudy sky taught me something new about life and college. Florence is more than a vacation spot and more than the birth of the Renaissance because Florence is home. Home for over 80 NYU Florence kids starting their first year of college. Hormonal, nervous, and anxious-looking at pictures from the first semester I felt like I was looking at a different person. There I was surrounded by different people; a different atmosphere. Looking back at my camera roll I am shocked how a year of laughter, sadness, fun, and adventure can go by so fast. Thinking of how I barely had a senior year this feels like I am somehow ending high school all over again from small gossip to the last get-together. Playing drinking games in a dorm room screaming at each other and making each other laugh. It feels like this year has

been more like three years, but at the same time, it feels like I just got to Italy and graduated. Talking with other friends we reflect on how it will never be like this again. It will never be so easy, so peaceful and so dreamy.  

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It has been a week since I left Italy. Here in Texas, the air is moist, and the sun shines brightly, but things still feel a bit off. I miss running across the hall in my socks to ask Emma and Lexi if my outfit looks right. I miss the cool nights in Florence and being able to wake up at 10:30 and get a coffee for a euro. In a small bar drinking cappuccinos in a green cup. I miss crying over strawberry lemonade with Lexi and cuddling with Emmdonn while listening to hearing Emmc's "your mom" jokes. I have noticed that the people you surrounded yourself with make a difference in who you are. The friends I have today are friends I never thought of having.

 Being home in my own element and with my family has been excellent, but I still find myself missing those cool nights in Firenze. Talking with my friends over ft, and text, we joke about how salty the food is and how we couldn't wait to go to Trader Joe's or back to work. I think we text each other about 20 times a day saying that we miss each other. We send long voice messages about what we are doing that day. For this, I am thankful for the small campus and Natalia Villa that brought us together. A week without Italy has taught me to be grateful for the friends, family, and experiences I was able to have while abroad. Looking back at how I acted from the first semester I see the changes I went through, I see how different an experience can have on your life. I will forever cherish the memories that Firenze has permanently had on me. From nights on campus and off-campus to gelato on the Ponte Vecchio, and watching the sun and moon shine brightly on the school bench on campus. Tattooed on my arm I will 

forever hold on to the memories. I will forever be fazed by the moon and nights sitting on a bench. A bench surrounded by a gentle wind, a clear sky, shining stars, and a bright moon looking upon the sun. 

Vista tu presto Firenze