Ciao,

This week is more about my emotions and the fact I have two weeks left. I have now been living in Florence for about three months and I can’t quite comprehend where the time has gone. Knowing I have such little time left I’m convinced I will be traveling here again. When I originally applied for this blogging position, I knew I struggled with homesickness. I experienced a lot during my freshman year of college. With that knowledge, I assumed I would experience the same thing when being abroad. Therefore, to help myself track my progress with homesickness I applied for this job. Fast-forward to the present and I sit here writing in shock that after the first 24hrs of arriving in Florence I was comfortable and stayed that way. I would like to give lots of credit to my host mom for that as she made it very clear that the house was my home, and I should never not feel comfortable coming to her. As always, I want to remind my readers that no homestay experience will be the same and I’m so grateful I ended up with mine. I also want to credit my easy adjustment to my pre-abroad self for working so hard to have all the accommodations I have at Whitman. Understanding what’s important for you and not letting others convince you of otherwise is important. Whether that’s housing or academic aid taking care of future you can make a world of difference when abroad. One of my pre-stressors for going abroad was money and being cost-aware when traveling on weekends. Not everyone will have the same budget and the Syracuse program brings a variety of students (Although I will say mostly white) together. Each student will come from a different economic/social class here and if you want to travel on a budget I wouldn’t stress. It may take time but I’m confident you will find the right friends within this program. To return to my experience or lack thereof with homesickness, this post doesn’t mean I didn’t struggle mentally during my stay. For those who struggle with mental health, the options abroad are disappointing. The “MY SSP” app Whitman provides isn’t adequate for anyone who is struggling with long-term mental health. It feels more adequate to help people who are experiencing new emotions that want a quick solution. Syracuse in the same light doesn’t offer options for people with long-term mental health either. The staff are supportive, but they aren’t certified nor legally confidential. Furthermore, going to an English-speaking therapist in Italy will be out of pocket and not covered by the school’s health insurance (though possibly reimbursed by your insurance once back in the states). When I first got here, I wanted to check out all my possibilities and although I had tough times my host family and friends were a much better option. On a more positive note, being in Florence has been overall wonderful and I’m very proud that my blogs are different from what I had intended. If you are planning on going abroad, I would like to give the piece of advice to neither assume nor ignore that having homesickness could happen. It’s not a bad thing and if anything, it’s a sign you are growing. Try to learn more about yourself through those feelings. Don’t condemn yourself to homesickness nor believe yourself too grown up to get homesick.

Can’t wait to be back on campus,

Rebecca