As if exploring one of the most beautiful regions in Italy wasn’t incredible enough, I got to do it…with my best friend! One of the great things about studying abroad in Milan and Europe in general is, chances are, you have at least one other friend studying abroad in Europe! It is very cool to meet up with old friends in various locations. In this case, my friend Golda and I have been very close since we were 15 years old. During this semester, she was studying in Stockholm, Sweden!

I’ll start out by saying that I’m not sure how I got myself into this blogging business.

desiderata

meaning: desired things

source: Max Ehrmann, 1927

“go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.”

Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina is a small town with rich history. I grew up in that town just as my father, father’s father, and so on and so forth had. I say this to acknowledge how a place can take hold and deeply root itself in your life.

Nearly a week into my exchange program, I’m still finding it hard to register that I’m living in a place like this. Being 4,176 miles from home is a lot to come to terms with, and somehow it’s even harder to believe when you have actually arrived. Nevertheless, being here is absolutely exhilarating. I don’t think that I speak only for myself when I say that I’ve been running on what I’ve come to understand as a study abroad high. I go to sleep each night knowing that tomorrow will be even better than the day before.

Bonjour!

I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but it’s finally time to embark on my journey to Paris. I woke up this morning with the biggest smile on my face and the most excited feeling ever. Up until this point, it hadn’t quite hit me that I’d really be leaving the country and visiting a city I have always dreamed about! Yesterday, as my friend was helping me pack, all I could think was: This is definitely just a dream. I will probably wake up soon.

My name is Maysam Al-Ani. I am originally from Iraq, born in the US, and am currently living in Qatar. I am looking forward to the many adventures and new experiences in Tokyo! I am a Muslim, so I will be on the hunt for halal and Muslim-friendly restaurants in Tokyo. I will also be on the look-out for vegetarian restaurants and let you guys know about them!

Wow, am I bad at meeting people. Given the choice between striking up a one-on-one conversation with a stranger and going for a long swim in shark-infested waters, I might just go with the latter. I mean, sharks are an unfairly maligned species, and I’m pretty good at swimming.

People, on the other hand...well.