Getting Used to It

On Tuesday I gave a presentation on the statue of the Hellenistic Boxer for my art history class. The only thing was, the actual statue was on loan at another museum meaning I gave a presentation on a picture of the statue. It was a little disappointing, to say the least.

And speaking of things that are missing, I think my memory of what it is like to be American is lost. I've noticed that fewer of my blog posts have to do with the differences between Americans and Italians...and I think it's because I just don't notice them anymore. Either I can't remember what they are or I've become so used to Italians I've just grown numb to the differences.

I only have one month left here in Rome and this might be one of the hardest months. Sure, the first month had its trials, but now we've settled in and we have to try and figure out how we are going to re-adapt to life in America when we leave. Not to mention we have to say goodbye to this place that has become our home. This place where we learned so much about not just Europe or Italy or even Rome, but about each other and about ourselves.

I'm getting sappy now, but it's hard not to when I can hear the Italians in our courtyard singing songs slightly off key (it's someone's birthday) and the motorini zipping up our one-way out front. It's going to be weird not hearing the garbage truck every night, watching life happen from my balcony, smelling my neighbors cooking a floor below us.

I think what I'm trying to say is, this is not the study abroad experience I imagined. It's so much more.