Dear Odyssey,
In Italian, the word "Arrivederci" means goodbye for now. Having said that I have some very important news.
This whole upcoming semester, I will be studying abroad in Rome, Italy at John Cabot University. I leave January 11th and will return home around May 6th. What this all really means is that I will have to stop writing for Odyssey for a while. I have enjoyed writing these articles and I plan on writing more in the near future, but I will not be able to keep up while I am in a different part of the world.
Some days, I may come back and talk about traditions or foods that Italy has to offer or even other parts in Europe. However, I have no way of telling when I will have the time. I would like to take this time by thanking the Odyssey team for giving me the opportunity to write these articles. Because of them, I feel like I have become a better writer and feel more confident about sharing my opinions on certain topics that are being talked about.
I do admit that most of my articles have been about Hip Hop and Movies, but I always was told to write about what I love and I plan on writing more articles like that when I return. In fact, you may see a part 3 of Is Hip Hop Dead when I return once the winners at the Grammy's are announced and new artists start to come out in this new year. It has been an amazing ride though and I have appreciated every moment of it. I must say though, I am very excited to go to Rome.
I don't know what to expect. I'm excited for my classes, meeting new people, exploring different places, and learning the language and where my ancestors came from. It almost feels like 3 years ago when I was getting ready to go to college for the first time and moving into the dorms. I am excited, anxious, but also very nervous.
I still feel like there is so much to do, but there isn't much else I can do. I have made plans for the rest of this weekend to see friends and family before I leave. It is hard to say goodbye, knowing I will be gone for 5 months, but I plan on keeping contact with everyone.
This is hopefully going to be a very amazing journey and I don't know what to expect. What I do know is that when I come back, I may change into a different person and might even become a different writer. So when I come back to America, I am preparing colleagues, friends, and family for some of the articles I may write in the near future.
Until then, I would like to thank the Odyssey team one last time for letting me write articles and I will see you soon.
Yours Truly,
Chandler William Reese-Farmington Community
