I Have Been Changed For Good

Ciao!

Well, I am home safe and sound in Pa!  I got home Friday night right on time without any problems!  I made it through customs without any issues and all of my flights went well.  But I have to admit, it's hard for me to be home sometimes.  When I landed in Harrisburg I was so excited to see my family and I thought I wasn't going to be sad about leaving Italy and more specifically Perugia.  But when I got to my house it really hit me that I wasn't going back to Perugia any time soon and I wasn't going to see my new friends for a while.  It was really hard but after talking and texting my Perugia roommates I realized they are going through the same feelings.  We cried together and told each other that we would see each other soon enough and we are all only a skype call away from one another!  I know I will never forget any of the people I met over these last 4 months and we will continue to be good friends for years to come!  I also found a song that helped me get through these first few days of being home.  There is a song from the musical "Wicked" that explains how much this experience and all of the people I met mean to me.  Here are some lines from the song "For Good"....

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you....

It well may be
That we will never meet again in this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a hand print on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend....

Because I knew you
I have been changed for good


I have been changed by all of the people I have met this semester and I will never forget any of you.  You have touched me in a very special way and trust me we will see each other again!  I promised myself that I will see you all again someday.  Whether we have a big reunion in Colorado or you all come to Pa, we'll see each other again, no worries!

Now I should probably get back to doing laundry, wrapping Christmas presents, and catching up on episodes of "The Office".  I have also started making a slide show of my entire Italy experience so hopefully I can get that done before Christmas Eve!  I can't believe Christmas is only 5 days away!  I will update again once more challenges with re-entry arise. 

Oh, and before I go I would just like to ask everyone to pray for one of my fellow Perugia roommates and 3 other Umbra students who are still stuck in London because of the snow storm.  They will hopefully get a flight out on Christmas Eve but hopefully they can find one home before then.

Italian word of the post:
    fiocco di neve - snowflake

Morgan :)

Perugia, Io Non Ti Dimentichero Mai (I Will Never Forget You)

Ciao!

So this is it, my final blog post from Perugia!  I cannot believe how fast these last 4 months have gone by!  I have had the best semester and it still doesn't feel like I am leaving.  I feel like I'm just going on another weekend trip and I will be back in Perugia by Sunday night, but of course this is not the case.  By this time tomorrow I will be flying over the pond to the US of A!  I'm sure it won't hit me that I'm actually going home until I land in Washington DC. 

Last night was our last "real" night in our apartment because we are leaving tonight at 1 am from Perugia.  So to spend our last night in Italy what did we do?...we ate a lot of Italian food!!  We went to a tiny restaurant here in Perugia where all of the food is prepared by one woman and it takes about 3 hours to eat there.  It was so delicious!  I had my last bowl of gnocchi, baked potatoes in olive oil, and plenty of bread!  We definitely went out with a bang and we all had a major "food coma" after that last meal.  After dinner we went over to my friend Breanne's apartment to play card games and just talk and eat some more.  We all got teary eyed as we realized this was our last night in Perugia.  Luckily Breanne is going on the bus tonight so I will be able to say goodbye at the airport very early in the morning.

I am sorry to cut this post short but I must finish packing, eating, and saying goodbye!  Tonight we have a farewell dinner from Umbra then it's off to the bus at midnight!  We will arrive at the Rome airport around 3:30 am and then I have to wait with my travel buddies until our flight to DC leaves at 10:45 am.  I will be home in Harrisburg around 6 pm Eastern time on Friday night!  I can't wait to see you all and share all of my wonderful experiences with you :)  Next time I post I will be home!!

Italian word of the post:
    arrivederci - goodbye (formal)

Morgan :)

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Ciao!

I have just finished my second final and I have two more tomorrow and then I am finished!  It feels so weird to be finishing these classes and packing all of my stuff at the same time.  As I am packing my roommates and I were all talking about our favorite things we have done during the semester.  So I thought it's only fair that I make a list of my favorite things from this amazing semester in Italia!  Some of these things we also discussed at an Umbra meeting we had about two weeks ago..enjoy!!

My favorite meal in Italy: Pizza lasagna (pizza with ricotta cheese, ham, basil, and mozzarella cheese)

My favorite place I visited in Italy: Capri

My favorite place I visited outside of Italy: tie between London, England and Salzburg, Austria

My least favorite city I visited: Rome, Italy

 My favorite weekend here: Going to London for Harry Potter weekend and the Amalfi Coast trip


Food I will miss the most: Gelato!!

First meal I want to eat in the USA: Turkey boat sub from P + J's and a root beer float

Place I want to come back and visit: Perugia of course!

I could probably go on and on with this list but the truth is I will miss a lot about Perugia and Italy itself!  Now I should probably get back to studying for my last two finals tomorrow.  I will update once more before I leave for the US on Friday morning!

Italian word of the post:
    inverno - winter

Morgan :)

What is Re-entry?

Ciao!

I have decided to take a break from studying for my Italian final and address a question I have been asked a lot recently.  A lot of my family and friends hear me throw around the word 're-entry' a lot either on Skype or in e-mails and I have realized that many people don't realize what study abroad students go through when they come home.  Granted, I have yet to come home and experience these things but I have been told by our staff members here at Umbra that it will hit us as soon as we get off the plane.

When we went to our re-entry meeting about 2 weeks ago we received a handbook to help us readjust to life at home in the United States.  And in the handbook there were the top 10 re-entry challenges experienced by many students.  Here are the top 10 challenges as explained in our handbook....

1. Boredom - After all the newness and stimulation of your time abroad, a return to family, friends, and old routines (however nice and comforting) can seem very dull. It is natural to miss the excitement and challenges that characterize study in a foreign country, but it is up to you to find ways to overcome such negative reactions.

2. "No one wants to hear" - One thing you can count on upon your return: many people will be uninterested in hearing about your adventures and triumphs when you try to share those experiences.This is not a rejection of you or your achievements, but simply the fact that once they have heard the highlights, any further interest on your audiences' part is probably unlikely. Be realistic in your expectations of how fascinating your journey is going to be for everyone else.

3. You can't explain - Even when given a chance to explain all the sights you saw and feelings you had while studying abroad, it is likely to be at least a bit frustrating to relay them coherently. It is very difficult to convey this kind of experience to people who do not have similar frames of reference or travel backgrounds, no matter how sympathetic they are as listeners. You can tell people about your trip, but you may fail to make them understand exactly how or why you felt a particular way.

4. Reverse Homesickness - Just as you probably missed home for a time after arriving in Italy, it is just as natural to experience some "reverse" homesickness for the people, places, and things that you grew accustomed to in Perugia. To an extent it can be reduced by writing letters or emails to generally keep in contact, but feelings of loss are an integral part of international sojourns and must be anticipated and accepted
as a natural result of study abroad

5. Relationships have changed - It is inevitable that when you return you will notice that some relationships with friends and family will have changed. Just as you have altered some of your ideas and attitudes while
abroad, the people at home are likely to have experienced some changes. These changes may be positive or negative, but expecting that no change will have occurred is unrealistic. The best preparation is flexibility, openness, minimal preconceptions, and tempered optimism.

6. People see "wrong" changes - Sometimes people may concentrate on small alterations in your behavior or ideas and seem threatened or upset by them. Others may attribute any 'bad" traits to the influence of your
time abroad. These incidents with family or friends may be motivated by jealousy, fear, or feelings of superiority or inferiority. To avoid or minimize them it is necessary to monitor yourself and be aware of the reactions of those around you, especially in the first few weeks following your return. This phase normally passes quickly if you do nothing to confirm their stereotypes.

7. People misunderstand - A few people will misinterpret your words or actions in such a way that communication is difficult. Offers to help in the kitchen can be seen as criticism of food preparation; new
clothing styles as provocative or inappropriate, references to Italy or speaking Italian as boasting. Be aware of how you may look to others and how your behavior is likely to be interpreted.

8. Feelings of alienation/critical eyes - Sometimes the reality of being back 'home" is not as natural or enjoyable as the place you had constructed as your mental image. When real daily life is less enjoyable or more demanding than you remembered, it is natural to feel some alienation, see faults in the society you never noticed before, or even become quite critical of everyone and everything for a time. This is no different than when you first left home. Mental comparisons are fine, but keep them to yourself until you regain both your cultural balance and a balanced perspective. 

9. Inability to apply new knowledge and skills - Many returnees are frustrated by the lack of opportunity to apply newly gained social, linguistic, and practical coping skill that appear to be unnecessary or irrelevant. To avoid ongoing annoyance: adjust to reality as necessary, change what is possible, be creative and patient, and above all use all the cross-cultural adjustment skills you acquired abroad to assist your own re-entry. For example, during your stay in Italy you have mastered public transportation and train travel in general. It is common to feel “land locked" and unable to use your travel skills in daily life as with your adventures that were such a part of your life abroad.

10. Loss or compartmentalization - Being home, coupled with the pressures of job, families, and friends, often combine to make returnees worried that somehow they will “lose" the experience. You may feel that somehow the experience will become compartmentalized like souvenirs or photo albums kept in a box to be admired only once in awhile. You do not have to let that happen. Maintain your contacts. Talk to people who have experiences similar to yours. Practice your skills. Remember and honor both your hard work and the fun you had while studying abroad.

After looking over the list I became very nervous and even a little bit scared about going home.  It's crazy to think that I will have to be readjusted to a place I have lived for 20 years of my life.  But all of my new friends here will be going through the same feelings and we have all agreed to help each other by writing letters, skyping, and keeping in touch via e-mail and Facebook.  And who knows?  Maybe we will have a big reunion years down the road :)

I guess I should get back to studying my Italian now.  I hope everyone has a fantastic rest of the week and I look forward to seeing you all in only 8 days!

Italian word of the post:
    Buon Natale - Merry Christmas

Morgan :)

Free Chocolate and the Final Days in Perugia!

Ciao!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I have been so busy writing my final papers and gearing up for my final exams!  I can't believe it but my Italian final is this Friday!  After my exam I will be done with Italian.  The rest of my finals are next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and then I head home next Friday December 17th!  I say it every post but I really cannot believe I will be leaving Perugia in only 10 days.

We had our re-entry meeting about a week ago and our staff members told us to start thinking about going home.  I know this might sound odd but if we start thinking about it now it won't be so hard once the day arrives.  All of my roommates and friends have already thought of ways to keep in touch with one another.  My roommate Jessica and I are going to write letter to each other once we get back to the States.  I am writing the first letter and I am giving it to her the morning we leave.  My friend Breanne and I are going to do the same thing.  I think this will be a wonderful way to stay in touch and I can't wait to write real letters to my friends once I get back home!

But the reason for this post is to talk about our trip to the Perugina chocolate factory last Wednesday with our Italian class.  A group of about 50 Umbra students went to the chocolate factory for a factory tour and free chocolate tasting.  We took a bus to the chocolate factory which is about 40 minutes away from the center of Perugia.  Once we arrived at the factory we saw the most beautiful sight, a table full of free chocolate!  We all went nuts eating a lot of different kinds of Perugina chocolate.  They had full bars of chocolate, Baci (which I will explain later), and little assorted chocolates as well.  It was a chocolate lovers dream come true!

After stuffing ourselves with free chocolate we watched a video explaining the process of chocolate making.  No, there was no free ride like there is in Hershey, Pa!  Instead, we watched this video which was completely in Italian!  This surely put our Italian language skills to the test.  I got most of the video but thank goodness for the pictures or I surely would have been lost.

After watching the video we saw the world's largest Baci!  A Baci (means kiss in Italian) is a small chocolate candy with a hazelnut on top.  Perugina is famous for these little candies and what makes them special is inside each one is a quote in 5 different languages.  Most of the quotes are about love and they are really cute.  But don't worry everyone because I am bringing lots of Baci home to America so you will have the chance to taste it.  Trust me, they are so good!  But the Baci we saw in the factory was the world's largest, it was made for the Eurochocolate festival in 2003 and it was chopped apart and given to the crowd at the festival.  The one in the factory is a plastic model but it is still pretty cool!

 

 We then took a factory tour which was in Italian also.  The tour was amazing, we weren't allowed to take photographs but I didn't mind as you can't take a tour like this in Hershey.  We walked along an enclosed catwalk above the factory and looked down on the workers making the chocolate bars, Baci, and other delicious candies.  It was really cool to see how these workers make all of the chocolate.

After our tour we went back to the free chocolate table where we found they had restocked it while we were on the tour!  Needless to say this was my favorite day of Italian class :)  Here are some pictures from the chocolate factory....

 

My roommate Jessica with the free chocolate table....

 

100 years of Perugina chocolate....

 

Now it's time to study and prepare for my last presentation this Thursday.  I am ready for finals to be over but I am not ready to leave just yet.  But I am trying to focus on all of the fun activities in the coming days.  Tonight, we have our final free pizza night from Umbra, this Friday a few of us are going to Gubbio to see the Christmas lights, and Saturday my roommates and I are going back to Cortona to eat the best meal we had our very first week here!  It'll be a busy 10 days but I am just making every day count!  

See you all in only 10 days :)

Italian word of the post:

    cioccolato - chocolate

Morgan :)

I Finally Figured Out How to Make a Video!!

Ciao!

It took me almost all semester but I finally figured out how to make a video using my webcam!  So here is a little video I made this morning..enjoy!  See you all very very soon :)

Italian word of the post:
    casa - home

Morgan :)