Keeping my Head Held High

For my first post in Italy, I bet you were expecting me to say Siena is incredibly beautiful and I love it here. These are true statements, but unfortunately I ran into a little road block while settling in. After only a few days in Siena I got sick and had to stay home in bed while everyone else on the program was doing a scavenger hunt in the city. I felt sick in two ways. Both physically sick and homesick. I have been homesick before, but this was different. All I wanted to do is be at home with my family. Knowing that being with my family wasn’t possible truly upset me. I questioned whether I was actually ready to study abroad. Previously I had thought that I was definitely ready and could handle anything. I started counting the weeks until I would return home. But then I thought about it more and remembered that tomorrow is a new day. I am not going to be happy 100 percent of the time here and I need to accept that. However, I still need to keep my head up and make the most of my time here.

Homesickness is real and natural. It affects people in different ways. I haven’t figured out how I will deal with it yet, but I know that I am strong and determined to find a way to make this work. I worked hard to be where I am today and I will not give up on my dreams no matter how difficult things may get.

I am sorry if you were expecting a happy post about all of my adventures so far, but in a world where we like to pretend that our lives are perfect 24/7, I think it's important to share some of the not so great times. Even though one day wasn’t so great, I know the days ahead will be better. I will learn something new every day, including things about myself. So don’t worry, I will be ok in the end. I promise that my next post will be something happier, because there is so much to be excited about when you are studying abroad in Siena, Italy.