melissa grace kreider

     Traveling is fantastic, and I'm truly lucky that I have the oppurtunity to do so. I typically don't enjoy staying in one place for too long, so weekends where I hit three countries in rapid succession are a dream come true! Being abroad really is an invaluable experience that I wouldn't trade for the world ten times over. I am constantly humbled or taken down a couple of notches and then gently let back up. I am taught my lesson and I learn from it. 

      What I've learned just this weekend?

     1. Being American doesn't carry a negative connotation if you don't let it. Fight to prove the stereotype wrong, and just generally use your damn head. Don't be quick to rebuttle against your country and set yourself apart from "the rest of them." Embrace the fact that the piece of land where you lay your head is called America, and that's it. Don't let the political messiness muddle that. Only be ashamed if you live up to what the world assumes as American. Prove them wrong.

     2. Traveling is like a game that you will sometimes lose. Things will go wrong. Planes will be missed, trains will be late, you will forget things in your hotel room. People in power will try to push you to argue, and snap at you for asking simple questions (this applies especially if you are young...maybe about nineteen..aka, me). Have patience and a sense of humor. Take it slow, don't rush, and just be calm. Let bygones be bygones. Unless you have some magical way to control air traffic or the weather, get over it. 

     3. It is rude and insensitive to assume that everyone speaks English. If you need help, politely ask if they do before firing away with some long-winded explanation about how you're lost and don't understand something. Be humble. 

     I could go on, but I think it's clear the point I am trying to make. I am learning things that I never would have been able to fathom if I didn't take the chance of delving into Europe alone. At this point, about halfway done with my study abroad experience, I want to urge everyone to take advantage of the programs your school offers for study abroad. If they don't have what you want, find a program that does and take the necessary steps to acheive credit transfer. We live in a global market, and having a global perspective doesn't just make you a better candidate for jobs, it makes you a better person. 

I'll leave you with that. It's always a bit of a strange snap when I return to Florence because I also return to schoolwork, budgeting and bedtimes. The long days where I'm traveling and constantly on the move make me forget that such things exist. Florence is my constant and stable home right now, and with it comes responsibility..

...what I am saying is that I have mass finals to study for or photograph, and I'm hardcore procrastinating.

Ciao for now!

-m.