After I said my final goodbyes to my family at the airport, had my final tears and one last big tight hug, it was time to buckle up and settle in for the ride, the life I was dreaming about all summer was about to become my reality. 

When I arrived in Italy, I felt disoriented and couldn’t quite process the idea that I was alone in a new country I’ve never been to, only knowing how to say “Ciao” with a horrible accent. Suddenly, everything that I had taken for granted at home had felt like it was taken away from me and I was tasked with the impossible of creating a new home from the ground up. I was tossed at the bottom of the stairs challenged with seemingly impossible tasks in order to climb high to the top.

Tasks that felt so simple back at home– like getting a cellular plan, subscribing to a gym membership, ordering at cafes, and even having to walk home– felt like a burden. Everyday as school ended, I would find the most direct, quickest route home on maps and find myself bustling my way through the crowds, which was quite the opposite of the ‘slow-living’ in Italy that I was supposed to embrace. I always went to the same bar with the same order every time, a cornetto with chocolate and cappuccino, but I always peered over at the bombas regretting getting the same order over and over again. I was sitting at the threshold peering in, but I didn’t quite have the courage yet. The readiness to embrace the uncomfortable, the new opportunities and experiences waits on the other side until the day that I’m ready to step in and immerse myself and eventually to trust the uncomfortable. 

55 days later, I’ve found myself strolling around Viterbo, stopping at every shop just to peek in, adapting to the idea of ‘slow-living,’ going down new paths I’ve never explored before, sitting by the fountain enjoying the sunset, or finding myself ordering something new at a new cafe everyday. And even when I still struggle to say “Ciao,” it feels more comfortable because slowly I’ve learned how to embrace the uncomfortable and sit back and soak up every moment while it lasts. 55 days later, I can finally call Viterbo home.