Farewell, Torino!

How do I even begin to put my experience here into words? This semester has, without a doubt, been the most significant and life-altering experience I have ever had. I have met so many wonderful people and seen so many wonderful places in such a short time. It's amazing how just four short months can have such a lasting impact on a person. I've made memories here that I will never forget, and friendships that I will cherish forever. It's extremely bittersweet to be going home--of course I'm thrilled to be seeing my family and friends again, but it's so strange to me that this part of my life has come to an end. Torino truly felt like home for that past four months, and I will never forget the time I have spent here. I have really enjoyed contributing to this blog and hope that it has been helpful and informative. Thank you so much to everyone who has followed the blog! I would just like to say to anyone who is even considering studying abroad--regardless of the location--just do it! You will never regret going, but you will definitely regret not going. This has been one of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding experiences of my life, and I hope Hannah and I have encouraged others to consider doing the same. Thank you to USAC for all of your guidance and support through this process. If you have any questions at all about ANYTHING, please don't hesitate to email me at elwenham@gmail.com.

Grazie e arrivederci!

Ciao, Torino!

Although, I don't leave Europe until the beginning of June, I have to say goodbye to the amazing city of Torino within the next few days. May 15th seemed so far away in January. Yet, somehow it creeped up way too fast, and I have to say goodbye to new friends, enjoy the city as much as possible, and pack. The cliché of your studying abroad experience being over before you know it is so true. Even though in someways I feel like the first day in Torino was forever ago, I also feel like the time has gone incredibly fast. Studying and living in Torino has been an unexplainably amazing experience that I will never forgot and I am so grateful I have had. 

This is the third time I have tried to write this post because thinking about leaving, saying goodbye, returning to america and going home, and not coming back next semester is really overwhelming and brings up such a mix of emotions. If this post is disjointed, this is why. Of course, I am thrilled to be seeing my parents, friends, and home soon. I am excited to start work and have a break from school. I am excited to eat New Mexican food and all the other food I can't get here. But, it is so hard to fathom that this Wednesday, most of us are leaving or at least parting from one another. It seems strange that I will be going back to my college in the States next semester and not back to Torino. It's weird that I will never see my apartment again and don't know when I can meet up with my roommates or other amazing friends I have made here within USAC, Erasmus, and with Italians. Thankfully we can keep in touch with Facebook, but it will be an adjustment not to see them so often. The weather is also making it hard. I went to Parco Valentino yesterday with Katie and Roza and had a little picnic in the grass, surrounded by groups of friends, families, and couples. The weather was perfect and the energy was so captivating. I can only imagine what summer is like in Torino. 

Packing is also hard. What should I throw out? What should I try to force into my suitcase? Will my luggage be overweight? Why am I leaving? What if I just stay here?

I think that I probably will experience reverse culture shock when I come back to America, although for the first few days I will be too jet lagged to notice much. I assume the amount of English I hear will be shocking, along with the amount of food options, the need to drive everywhere, big box stores, and the lack of gelato shops, bars, and pubs. I don't know if I'm ready to come home, or maybe it is that I don't know what "ready" means. I am a bit homesick. It just feels strange that I won't be coming back after summer. But I guess that shows how much of a home Torino has come to be for me. This makes me really happy because one of the reasons I wanted to study abroad was to become familiar enough with a foreign place that it starts to feel like home. 

I will remember this experience as eye opening, culturally stimulating, full of personal growth and learning, and just unbelievably cool, crazy, and cheerful. 

I should be blogging about my travels with my Parents to Florence, Bologna, and Paris. And also, once I go back to school in August, I will get to develop my 35mm black and white film, scan the images, and upload them here. 

So, Ciao, Torino! Mi manchi già e non posso aspettare di tornare. Grazie mille per una l'esperienza di una vita!

I also want to thank all the readers of this blog, and I hope it was helpful. Feel free to ask any questions!

Italians Love Their Soccer

This past Sunday, Jueventus, one of Torino's two professional soccer teams won their 31st championship for the second year in a row. Torino celebrated like crazy. On my way to eating Mexican, I witnessed part of the celebration in Piazza Vittorio and saw the team's bus drive by.

Peanut Butter Costs How Much?! Dealing With Being Homesick Abroad

After being abroad for almost four months, I am starting to really miss certain comforts that are much easier to find in America. I've been fine surviving without them, but there is nothing like waking up to a warm breakfast burrito or a to-go cup of chai . Whether you miss your family, dog, car, friends, or food, being homesick is completely normal and expected, and here is a guide to dealing with it.

Family and Friends:
Thank goodness of modern technology. No longer do we have to hope that the postcard we sent at the beginning of the semester might arrive home before we do. Video chat like Skype and Facetime, and apps like Viber, make communicating with your friends and family very easy. Granted, your internet might be temperamental/non-existent in your apartment, but there are plenty of cafes with WiFi (and the school has internet). Of course, sending postcards is still nice, too.
Make new friends! My program has about 65 students and many of us are also friends with students in Erasmus (European study abroad), and then of course there are so many Italians you can meet and befriend. It may be daunting at first. I still remember how terrified I was the first day, not knowing anyone, but you just have to keep an open mind and be up to going out and getting to know others.

Your Pet:
Although you might not be able to cuddle with them, there are adorable and beautiful dogs everywhere in Torino and around Europe. Seriously, it is almost ridiculous. Be careful though...it can be really hard to resist not stealing one.

Food:
The two top foods I have heard people talk about missing are peanut butter and Mexican. There is peanut butter here! It does exist! But it is expensive. For me, Nutella is a perfect replacement.
There are Mexican restaurants in Torino (in fact, I'm going to one tonight for Cinco de Mayo). The taste is not what we are used to in America, but it is still delicious non the less. I like the one in Piazza Vittorio.
If there is a snack, you feel like you can not live without, bring some with you. I didn't want to waste the luggage space.
Find new food! I've fallen in love with these hazelnut pirouette-like cookies from LIDL (a European grocery store), and I may or may not be stuffing my face with some now...they are very dangerous.
There is other food here, so don't worry about getting sick of Italian food. We have a lot sushi, middle eastern, and kebab places, and can anybody really ever get sick of gelato?
When you first order a coffee, you may be surprised to find about a gulp's worth in an "espresso" cup. To-go cups are basically not existent and the biggest coffee you will probably find is a small cappuccino. But, in Torino we have a Starbucks look alike called Busters, and they have to-go cups in varying sizes along with frappes and bagels!

Your Car:
Enjoy walking and the public transportation! Depending on where you live in the states, you probably don't get the opportunity often. As much as I miss blasting the radio and having the convenience of a car, I love how much I walk! I get that much more time to enjoy the city. I know a lot of students who prefer the metro to the bus, but I usually choose the bus of the metro because I can see more of the city riding it. Now, I'm just worried I might forget how to drive.

Stores that Stay Open Late:
There is nothing like a Target here. No late night grocery or convience stores. It is just about a matter of getting used to it. Make sure you do all you necessary shopping during the day. Most stores close at 7:30, grocery stores at 8. If your hungry at night, go for kebab or slice of pizza. Spend your night roaming the city and experiencing the night life.

TV and Movies:
There is a movie theater downtown that shows a movie in English once a week. But why not go see an Italian movie for fun! There are plenty of websites that allow you to watch american TV and movies, although a lot of those sites can be sketchy. Netflix and Hulu don't work. But why not read a book instead, or spend your time outside in the city especially if the weather is as beautiful as it has been. And honestly I haven't really had time to watch TV even if I wanted to. There is always either school work that has to be done, I'm traveling, or enjoying Torino and my friends here too much.

And If You Just Feel Really Homesick and Don't Know What To Do:
Cry. It's okay, most get homesick at some point for any number of reasons. Don't be afraid to let your feelings out. Your roommate or friend might be feeling the same way. So watch a sad movie, stay in bed all day, take a really long shower, and eat comfort food. It helps to take personal days even while abroad. You can't be expected to be always on the go and experiencing life even when you are living in an amazing city.
Distract yourself. Go for a walk or run. Take a bus or a train to someplace new. Visit a museum. Get lost. Try new food. Spend time with friends. Draw. Write. Photograph. Dance. Cook. Read. Study.
And there are always people to talk to, whether you skype family or friends back home to vent, reminisce with friends here about what you miss from home, or talk to someone in the program office.

Remember you are going to be home before you know it so try to enjoy the experience of living in a city abroad as much as possible. I already know I am going to miss Torino terribly.

Trip to Sacra di San Michele

USAC took us on a field trip to Sacra di San Michele, Saint Michael's Abbey. It is a beautiful monastery built in the late 900s. It is at the very top of Mount Pirchiriano. In fact, there is an area of the church where you can see the actual mountain. The bus took us most of the way up the mountain, and the rest we walked while it was raining even though it was sunny out. The view were stunning and learning about the history of the abbey was really interesting.

May Day and Jazz Festival

Yesterday was May Day, which is an international holiday on the first of May, also known as International Worker's Day. It is like our Labor Day. I had never seen as many people outside as I did yesterday. The weather was amazing and it happened to be the last day of the Torino Jazz Festival. The Jazz Festival is six days long and has concerts at the jazz club and all over the city in major piazzas. Yesterday, besides an array of famous jazz performers at Piazza Castello, there was a flash mob. There were so many people that it was kind of hard to see the dancing clearly, but it was pretty cool for my first flash mob. I came back to the piazza at night and the performances and energy was so amazing. If you are here during the festival, go! 

Piazza San Carlo (not a good representation of the amount of people)

Jazz Festival at Piazza Castello