From the very beginning, today was full of countless goodbyes. After what has truly been a life-changing semester, it is now time to go back to the U.S. and get ready for my senior year of college. I have been in denial about going home for the last few weeks (so much so that I have yet to begin packing)! Italy has inspired me and changed me; it has taught me that the most important thing in life is to live fully and deeply every minute of every day. Rome has become my home and the idea of leaving here tomorrow is daunting to say the least.

I’m Schyler. (Skyl-ler.) Yeah, like Skyler from Breaking Bad.  I go to UNC-Chapel Hill. I’m originally from a small town in North Carolina. I’m majoring in journalism and minoring in writing for the screen and stage. After college, I plan to move to Los Angeles.

I decided to study abroad in Rome because I wanted to be in the place my Church calls home, and I also wanted to study theology in more depth. Nonetheless, upon arriving here, I was not completely confident with the path I had chosen, and I felt guilty for abandoning the standards that the world has written out for me.  But as I near the end of this study abroad experience I can look back on the last few months and realize just how much my world has expanded and how much I have matured.

I’ve talked about Edinburgh, I’ve talked about Northern Ireland and even Norway found its way in, but Dublin itself has been neglected. Turns out that after five months, it’s easy to take a fascinating city for granted… that is, until you realize you’re getting on a plane in less than 48 hours. In the spirit of looming nostalgia, then, here are just a few of the educational (and free!) things to do in Dublin.

From Mendoza, I took a bus to the capital of Chile, Santiago.  From Santiago, I took a day trip to Valparaiso, a beautiful Pacific side city an hour outside of Santiago.

What came first: the colorful boats or the colorful buildings? Some say the fisherman painted their houses the same color as their boats so their wives could spot them as they sailed into the harbor.

With only a few days left here in Rome, I have noticed myself reminiscing on all of the things I love about this beautiful city. In between the reminiscing are the tears. When arriving in Rome, I knew that I would fall in love with the city, but I never realized it would be at the level that it is. Rome is officially my second home, and I never want to leave.

There are so many things about this magical city that I am going to miss, that the list I am about to make could never cover everything, but I’ll try.