Photo taken by Stephanie Cheung
I’m leaving Rome tomorrow.
I’m excited to go home, but at the same time, I don’t want to leave. It’s a confusing whirlwind of emotions, happening partly because I don’t like change, and partly because I don’t want to stop having such good experiences here. I thought all I wanted was to go back to America, but more recently I’ve wanted to stay in Rome. The city is beautiful, and despite the incredible amount of bird guano found all over the city, I have found living here to be quite nice. Besides, how can I let go of all the people I’ve become accustomed to seeing every day? Will the lady at Caffe Camerino notice my absence, or will she continue on with her daily life? Have I even made an impact in Rome, or am I just another study abroad student from America? Maybe I’m overthinking my stay here, but I feel that after five months here, I should have made some kind of impact.
It’s a little hard to believe that I never had an effect in Rome. The employees at Punto practically watched us adapt into Roman culture! They walked us through how to navigate the check-out line, and they applauded us as we practiced our Italian. With unwavering enthusiasm, they say hello to us as we pass the store. This may be just good-old positive customer service, but when it’s compared to how cold they were to us at the beginning of the semester, I’d like to think that they really warmed up to us.
I hope that I never let go of my experiences in Rome. I’ll miss Sant’Anna 3, Largo Argentina, Punto, and even bus 64. But there is one thing that I hope never happens.
I hope that Rome never forgets me.
–Michaela