Entering a new
country, traversing foreign segments of the globe and inhabiting a new
household amongst complete strangers, evokes challenges, insights and
alternative modes of seeing. Over the
past few months in Europe, I have oriented myself towards various destinations,
while remaining anchored in Parma for the duration of my experience. The
weekend features of my stay have been incredible, but are the embellishments on
the fabric of my experience, rather than the primary composition that has made
it so special. Parma has become my home. It has been the place where I return, at
the conclusion of a long weekend, where I spend time after classes and where I
dine amongst the family that has warmly welcomed me into their home and into their
lives.
My initial
impression of Parma pales in comparison to what it has come to mean for me
today. As I sit at the kitchen table of my host family, enjoying a fresh cup of
coffee while one of my brothers ventures to school with his Nonna and my other brother sits to my
left eating cereal, pleasantly surprised by an immediate vacation from school
due to a teacher strike, I contemplate the elements of my experience that have
distinguished my time in this lovely place.
Just last night, I stood, embracing my host brother as tears streamed
down his face, after discovering that Santa Claus was imagined and not real. Positing
that the magic still exists can’t compensate for the destruction of innocence
that accompanies this realization. Small, but pivotal moments like this serve
as a reminder of the time and space I occupy in the lives of my host family
members, in addition to them occupying a place in mine. The reciprocal
exchanges we have shared over the past months have been highly impressionable and
have differentiated my life as a Parmesan, as well as molded their experiences.
Living with my
host family has certainly made my study abroad experience. There are challenges
embedded in this immersion process, but it is undoubtedly a inequitable feature
of living in this new home. Living with a host family makes the experience
real. Not to detract from other living arrangements, but it allows you to see
the moments of struggle and epitomes of joy people undergo while conducting themselves
in an environment that is not subject to the artificial regimen of a
school-sleep-play schedule. Pensive and meaningful conversations take place.
People are vulnerable. Sometimes, it isn’t all that grand. But it allows me to see and experience and live amongst others who are managing more than a
predetermined schedule that alternates by block classes on Monday, Wednesday,
Friday then Tuesday, Thursday. And this is different. I have never lived, and directed
my experiences without the commitments of clubs and alternative activities,
amidst my studies before. I haven’t constructed a lifestyle in the same ideology of the concept, while in school
before. The autonomy embedded in the study abroad experience, coupled with the
experience of a host family living situation, evokes an entirely different perspective
than I would have acquired at Boston College or any environment at an
educational institution in America. The emphasis on conversation, priority of
family relationships and immersion in the present, in the joy of the moment,
are tendencies I appreciate and hope to transplant to Boston College. While I
realize this is impossible due to the dynamics of my schedule and the extent of
my commitments, I am still thankful for this perspective and introduction to a
mode of living that presents an alternative to my usual mode of operation.
In addition to
the relationships I have bridged with others in this setting, I have been able
to develop a better relationship with myself, delving into areas of introspection
that where previously left unperturbed due to other commitments. During my time abroad, I have been blessed with the time
to reflect. This unique gift has allowed me to truly take time for myself,
contemplate the relevance of my experiences and reconsider how I would like to
proceed in my time at Boston College and beyond. While this was not originally
an ostensible benefit of going abroad, it has been one of the most invaluable
pieces of my experience. The lessons learned and perspective acquired will truly
transcend the extent of my stay in Parma, and help me formulate my life going
forward. For this I am thankful. For study abroad I am unequivocally appreciative.
For all of those that enabled me to take on this new adventure, Grazie.
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