I returned home to a week full of graduation festivities for my little brother; congratulations
on graduating, Will! I am so proud of your accomplishments, and I know you will make a great Longhorn. Go Frogs!
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| The family before Jesuit graduation |
There
were 18 people supporting Will at his graduation. The night before, I
made
an Italian meal for 15 of those wonderful family members. I made an
appetizer that I learned in my cooking class and then had to cook for my
final exam and a pasta dish we liked to make in the apartment a lot
(ask me for the recipes!). We also enjoyed some of the
Italian wine I brought home. I loved getting to share a piece of my
Italian life with my family.
I started my full-time
internship
in Human Resources at Texas Capital Bank this past week. The words “full-time” are a
little bit scary; I will miss the ability to hop on a plane and jet off
to Portugal for a long weekend. However, I know that the fantasy world
of study abroad can’t last forever. So for
now, I will cherish my memories and look forward to a day when I can
return to Europe.
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| Florence will always hold a special place in my heart |
I
will admit that I don’t find myself missing walking to class among tour
groups
while puffs of smoke are being blown in my face. I really wish Europe
would recognize the harm of cigarette smoking. But you must take the bad
with the good; and the good, in this case, far outweighed the bad!
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| Florence really is a beautiful city |
Reflecting
on this past semester, I can officially say that studying abroad was
one
of the best decisions I made during my college years. I am a
Texas-loving, sweet-tea drinking homebody to the core. Choosing to live
in a foreign country for four months was a leap of faith. I truly did
not know how I would fare so far from the comforts of
the TCU bubble and a 10-hour flight from my family instead of my
typical 45-minute drive.
I
am proud to say that I made it through and I am stronger and more
independent than
ever. I think the biggest skill I gained during these four months was
emotional independence. I have always been one to do things on my own,
but when it came to emotional ups and downs, I was dependent on my sweet
Mom for support. Living thousands of miles
and many time zones away, I was forced to become my own support system
when dealing with the little curve balls life throws you. It was
difficult at times, but also empowering.
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| I loved getting the opportunity to know these wonderful ladies |
That
paragraph makes it sound like my semester abroad was a semester of
dramatic
emotions; and while there certainly were difficult times, we also had a
lot of fun! I am so grateful for the friendships I made, and for the
existing ones that were strengthened. The 26 other TCU students
traveling with me are special people and I was blessed
with the opportunity to get to know them. The memories with these 23
girls and 3 boys will last a lifetime.
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| The TCU gang |
Here are my top 10 memories of the semester:
1. Carnival in Venice: we had quite the adventure sneaking onto a train in an attempt
to return to Florence, but the 24-hour blitz in Venice was so much more than that little hiccup in the plans.
2. Blizzard in Lake Como: Mom and I were disappointed to arrive in Lake Como and
find a blizzard, but we got over it because we were just happy to be together.
3. Switzerland: such a relaxing yet action-packed weekend with one of my best friends,
Julie.
4.
Zeta Invasion of Florence: the week that my sorority sisters visited
was by far
the week with the most adventures. From a break in to lost luggage to
late nights out in Florence, we saw it all and had fun the whole time!
5. Spring Break: taking a bus wasn’t the most glamorous transportation, but it was
worth it to see Prague, Berlin, and Amsterdam in 7 days. Plus, I got to spend it with some of my favorite people.
6. Amalfi Coast: this was by far the best weekend of my time in Florence. I have
such special memories from what I think is the most beautiful place in Italy. I really hope to return someday soon.
7. High School Reunion in Portugal: getting to reunite with two of my dear Ursuline
friends was fun, but getting to do it in Lisbon was even better.
8.
Pajama Parties in the Apartment: four girls in their pajamas sitting
around the
dining room table was a common occurrence at our apartment. Sometimes
wine was involved and often times other people were there too, but no
matter what there was always laughter and joy. These simple times are
really the ones I cherish the most.
9.
Lunches and Dinners at Osteria Santo Spirito: the group was always
different,
but the food remained equally delicious each trip. I definitely crave
the olive spread and walnut ravioli, and I can guarantee this will be my
first stop when I return to Florence.
10.
Wine Tastings: I was lucky enough to participate in 3 different wine
tastings
(plus my Pairing Food and Wine Class) and each one was informative and
fun in their own way. There really is no such thing as too many
tastings!
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| I am lucky to have met friends who turned into family |
Before I end this saga of a blog post, I want to say thank you to my parents for encouraging me to study abroad and supporting my sometimes-expensive lifestyle while in Italy. Thank you to my brother for surviving a semester without me. Thank you to TCU for coordinating the program. Thank you to the people who experienced this with me; the memories listed above would be nothing without y’all!
Many Hugs,
Sarah
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