study abroad

wow i have not blogged at all or written anything since coming to rome! i dont even know what to say. upon first arriving here i definitely noticed the changes but now im feeling uninspired idk oh its coming back to me now here we go

well...i guess the first thing is that i was pleasantly surprised to discover that i'm perfectly capable of surviving without erick, which is a good thing :) i'd say that for the most part, since leaving the comforts of home, erick has pretty much taken care of me all three years of college. this is really the first time i've been independent, on my own, without anyone to take care of me, physically, mentally or emotionally. and i'm doing great!

there have been lots of changes and new situations that i've come across. for one, i have 6 roommates instead of just one. i have an actual roommate that i share a room with. i was nervous about that. but we haven't had any conflicts at all except that i snore....but as living partners, we get along just great. 

the whole 7 girls in an apartment thing is also going well. going in, i had no idea how many roommates i'd have or what the living situation would be like but i've been able to adjust fairly smoothly to a full house. there are 2 bathrooms, which alleviates morning rush, but it would be nice if we had a bigger fridge. one medium-sized fridge is not enough for 7 people's food. 

i'm also finding i don't really miss madison at all. i was definitely over that campus long ago....i'm so so so so glad i decided to come abroad. i really think it was the best thing i could have ever done. like it just came at the right time. spending a summer in chicago living on my own prepared me really well for coming abroad. i don't think i would have been able to transition as easily if i had come straight from madison. i'm comfortable being on my own, navigating a new city, figuring out public transportation, living with strangers...i've matured a lot just over the summer!!

mentally and emotionally i think i've matured a lot this past year alone. 21 was a big year for me. started out in a back brace in the lowest place i've ever been to living abroad in a historic and cultural landmark of a city....unreal. i think coming abroad has shown me that i want more in life than what i thought i wanted. 

what i thought i wanted before - to get married, start a family and have a job and be rich

what i want now - travel more, live independently for a few years, possibly live in a completely new place for a while and omg i have never voiced these thoughts out loud even if its just words on a screen. but talking to people from all over who have different perspectives on life and how it should be lived has definitely influenced me, if only in slight ways so far. like honestly my mind was definitely inside a midwest-esque box before coming here. but there are other ways to live life!! 

part of me wants to be responsible and try to secure a job immediately after i graduate. but once you enter the working world, that's kind of it... 

idk. so far this whole experience has been so positive and i can't believe i ever had any doubts about it at all! 

xoxo steph lulz