This post comes to us from Anna Bovalina. Anna is studying abroad in Florence from the University of Dayton.
I was excited to go abroad, I looked forward to it for MONTHS… Until the time came to actually go abroad. I found myself tearing up as I walked away from my mom and dad in the Pittsburgh International Airport realizing that I wouldn’t see them for the next 5 weeks. I had never done anything like this by myself before. I mean sure, I’ve gone to college where they are always a phone call away and there is nothing standing between us but a four-hour drive. Now, I have thousands of miles and costly data between us and our conversations.
I thought about them a lot for the first couple of days, but was so busy that I didn’t have time to be sad about it, until night time came when I was exhausted and finally had some down time to just stop and think. That’s when my emotions were the worst – when I wasn’t busy.
I eventually called them and with very little sympathy, my mom said to me, “Uh, you know, I love you but I’m having a hard time sympathizing for you because you’re in ITALY”. As much as I needed some TLC, she was right. I know both of my parents love me and miss me, but at the same time, I’m in another country experiencing things I never could while in the United States.
Not everyone gets the opportunity to study abroad. As hard as it is to make friends, get used to a different time zone, and face a lot of changes, it is important to think of the amazing experiences that will come about, like all the history you are surrounded by, all the places you get to travel to, and the knowledge that you will gain through the classes you take. Instead of thinking about how much you miss your parents, think about how happy they are for you and how much support they have given you to get to where you are.
