I had my first Italian coffee today (aren’t you proud? I don’t even drink coffee. Actually, it’s been a personal goal to never once resort to coffee during all my MIT sleep-deprivation years), and I have more firsts planned for later tonight! This all makes me laugh; Italy
I’ve learned
- of what being American means, and in what ways I am, and am not at all, classically American
- of how lucky I am that English is my native tongue
- of languages, most especially Italian
- of how one cannot ever really perfectly gauge just how many words a non-native speaker may truly be understanding, and of how easy it is to not be conscious of the depth of one’s primary vocabulary
- of city public transportation systems and travel (and its risks and expenses)
- of friendship and keeping in touch and the joys of the internet. (How did my immigrant ancestors manage without this?)
- of Italian culture and learning when I can afford to be a bit more laidback myself
- of controlling my emotions and recognizing when they’re taking hold of me
- of alcohol and its use in various cultures
- of being a powerful and independent young woman
- of carpe diem, or living in the moment
- of heartache, heartbreak, and love
- of science research, its pace, and the Italian concept of summer vacation
- of my research interests for grad school, and why
- of what I hope to get from life and what I value most
- of saying no… and yes
- of self-respect
- of religion and spirituality
- of effective communication
- of youth hostels and really living the backpacking-across-Europe dream
- of surviving on a tiny budget, of being hungry, and of completely losing all appetite
- of eating well and enjoying each bite
- of family and their place in my life
- of my own inner strength and will-power
- of my intelligence and how I think
- of how to study but still make time for fun
- of how to laughingly embrace life
- of being grateful
- of how to open my heart completely and how to take a chance
- of how to keep interactions free of emotional responses
- of trains, planes, and buses
- of booking low-budget trips
- of prioritizing
- of noticing small gestures and taking pleasure from the simple things
I am learning how to truly stand on my own two feet. I can smile just for the sake of smiling, laugh when life tickles me, and take my disappointments in stride. This is life, and this is my turn to live it. And that’s precisely what I am doing.
Thanks to allposters.com for the image.
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