Three weeks is the biggest tease ever. I’m currently lying on a mattress next to my best friend’s bed in our apartment in Florence, Italy. We knew we’d have more fun if we slept in the same room, so I dragged my bed in and put it right next to her's. Tomorrow will be our last day here, and I’m totally in love. And I’m totally not ready to leave.
Three weeks seems more like two weeks because the first week shouldn’t even count. Everything is so new and exciting that it’s almost impossible to even absorb or appreciate anything. By week two you’ve settled down and realized you aren’t dreaming; however, there’s only so much you can cram into 14 days. And it’s not near enough.
If you study abroad just to have fun and make some good memories, three weeks would probably be fine for you. But if you’re trying to learn about the culture or the language and truly change your life, three weeks just isn’t going to cut it. Don’t get me wrong, my life is changed, but not to the extent that I wish it could have been.
When someone says something to you in Italian, and you actually understand and know how to reply, it’s one of the most exciting feelings.
When you finally remember how to get to your favorite market and your favorite restaurant/bar, and you go repeatedly until the owners and waiters know you, it's comforting.
When your room becomes a disaster, just like your room at home, and you realize this feels kind of like home as the world around you grows more familiar, it’s indescribable.
You start meeting more and more people and making more and more connections along with discovering more and more little cafes, restaurants and beautiful views —and then, in a blink, it’s done. Over. Time to go home.
My best friend and I sat in our favorite restaurant with tear-filled eyes the other day, contemplating missing our flight home and sorority recruitment to extend our stay for two more weeks.
We are overwhelmed. Our worlds have changed. We are already planning a trip back. And we know that when we leave, a little piece of our heart will stay behind, always drawing us back.
Three weeks is just enough time to start to understand how it all works, how the people interact and how everything flows, but it’s not enough time to see everything or go everywhere — not with classes going on.
It’s not long enough to fully immerse yourself in the culture and learn the language and appreciate all the history surrounding you. You only have enough time to begin to understand how the culture works, and the beauty of the buildings is only being appreciated aesthetically.
This is one of the best and worst decisions I’ve ever made. Best because I’ve fallen in love with an entirely different world, and not just a physical world, but also a mental one. My entire mentality is different. It’s the worst because I’m leaving way too soon.
With all that being said, if three weeks is the only viable option you have, JUST DO IT. You won’t regret it. I don’t at all, just wish it could have lasted longer.
“Do things that scare you” they said. “It’ll be worth it,” they said.
I’ve never done anything more worth it in my life.
