And it all came to an end...

The program officially ended and it was time to spend an extra week in Europe with my mom and aunt. These two women are by far the funniest people on this planet. I’m so happy that I have women like them to look up to and spend my time with stress free.

My mom booked a last minute flight to Italy for my birthday. (I love you mother)! We got to Italy and I was so tired but with these two it’s always go, go, go. My mom says, “We’re not here to sleep, we’re here to explore.” Her motto was similar to our motto during the program, “We’ll sleep when we’re dead.” When we were trying to figure out how to get around the city my mom overheard a woman speaking Spanish on the phone and automatically turned her networking skills on. The woman was a Columbian who had been living in Italy for quite a while. Mind you she is now fluent in Italian. She really helped us out to reach our destination. Warning: Italy metros are way sketchier than Spain ones. First we went to Coliseum and there we were able to learn about the history and the events that went on during the Roman times. Learning about it all made me want to watch all sorts of movies about Roman times. It was interesting hearing about how the battles went on, what the different colors of togas meant that the audience had to wear, as well as the animals that were being battled. Next we walked up to a hill and learned about where special emperors lived; pretty cool stuff. Our day was finally ending and I was dead tired. When we were walking back to our hotel, we heard a sudden yell of Spanish out of the windows. We looked up and it was the Columbian woman! She invited us up to the apartment (pretty nice) and they chit chatted while my head bobbed up and down trying to stay awake. It is safe to say that I now have someone to stay with in Italy if I ever go back.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! We decided to go to Venice for the day. My, oh my, this city is absolutely beautiful. I’m sure most of you know that the only way to get around Venice is by boats. I rode a gondola for the first time but I learned something about my mom; she hates boats and dogs. I literally was dying laughing when we got on a gondola to cross the water, a man and his dog hopped on and sat next to my mom, and there went the freak out. My aunt and I were laughing so hard, people thought we were crazy. When I was walking around the common things I saw around in the stores was Mureno glass and Carnival Masks. If I wasn’t a broke study abroad student I would’ve bought everything. Most of the day was spent walking around just exploring, looking at pretty buildings. On our way to the hotel, this drunken Italian thinks it would be hilarious to just take my hat and run off with it. I got it back, but he was just so rude! Spaniards > Italians.

We only spent 3 days in Italy and it was time to leave. However, before we left we went to the Vatican City. My aunt and I took a nice, tour through the Vatican museum. Everything was so detailed and beautiful I couldn’t believe what I was seeing right before my eyes. The ceilings were covered with artwork that I had never seen and probably won’t ever see again. We walked down long hallways to only find the big shebang…the Sistine Chapel. Michaelangelo what you did was amazing! I loved the stories you decided to paint on the ceilings of the church. They are by far my favorite stories. God is good.

I arrived in Spain on Wednesday and my flight to America was on Friday night. The next few days were spent relaxing and putting together my thoughts. I couldn’t believe that it was all over. I was finally going back to America. I am so blessed to have been able to experience something like this. I made friends for a lifetime, got to know myself as a woman, as well as learn to appreciate so much more than I have. If you ever have the chance to experience something like this, PLEASE DO IT. I promise you will have the time of your life, but only do it if you’re able to have an open mind because you will not enjoy it if you don’t step out of your comfort zone. Try new things; don’t live life assuming you don’t like something when you’ve never tried it. I’m grateful for everything that my life has turned out to be right now and I couldn’t be happier. If God lets me…Spain, I WILL see you in two years! Ya estoy extrañando España mucho.

Love,
Carolina (La chica enamorada de España)