Farewell, Mom!

At about 2:00 AM this morning, I arrived back home from my study abroad trip to Italy. However, though I was happy to be home, there was a noticeable presence absent in my welcoming party; it was my mom’s. Mom and I were always close, but on May 31^st (the day before I left for Italy) she passed into eternity. My mom played many roles in my life, and on that fateful day, I said goodbye to a friend, a teacher, a comforter, and of course my first travel partner.

As I was unpacking this morning from my latest trip, and got ready to put my passport away, I saw another passport; it was my mom’s. As I look at the stamps in her passport, each stamp tells a story that always involved the both of us. Together we have traveled tens of thousands of miles, via trains, boats, planes, cars, and even on foot to over 25 countries on 5 continents.

It was my Wondering Jew of a mom, with her adventuresome spirit who helped instill in me my deep love of travel, she always pushed me to go to new places, and to try new things. She was the one who taught me how to pack, book a flight, and maneuver through an airport; I owe so much of my travel experience to her.

It is a hard thought for me to think that mom and I will never travel on this earth together again. But just because she will not physically travel with me again, does not mean that I will not carry her with me; no matter where I go, she will always be in my heart.

So, I say: “Farewell, Mom; we’ll travel heaven together someday!”

Mendenhall Glacier, AK (2015)

My Next Adventure!

So, where is my next far off adventure going to be? Well, I'm going back to Italy!

I am one of 20 students at my college who's application has been selected to participate in a Greek & Roman Humanities study abroad trip. And this past Friday was the first of 6 state-side pre-trip meetings to be held regarding the upcoming trip.

To say the least, I am very excited as studying abroad is something that I have always wanted to do. Though this is only a "short-term" I am still very thankful for this opportunity.

Why did I choose to apply for the Italy study abroad trip? Well, even though I have been to multiple places in Italy, I did not feel that I got a very well rounded "Italian Experience." To be totally honest, Italy was one of my least favorite destinations, and I was really disappointing by my experience there. However, I always thought that if I had the opportunity to stay with an Italian family and to truly see the country through the eyes of the locals, even for a short time, I would for sure have a better understanding, and respect for the country. Which brings to why I felt that this particular study abroad offering was a good one as my group will be doing home-stays in Sicily.

There is still much to do before I leave for the trip, so stay tuned for more updates!