I know this is going to seem like the most insane and crazy article. Everyone says I am in no place to complain or be upset while I am abroad. I know that I am spending an amazingly fabulous semester in Italy, and don't get me wrong, I am having the most amazing time of my life. I really never want to leave this place and go home; I know I will be crying my entire way home next month (I really hate saying that out loud). But deep down, I know I will actually be excited to go home, and here's why.
Being abroad is great; it is a whole semester dedicated to travel, trying new things, and self-discovery. It is also probably the longest time you have been away from your home and family before. I, being someone who is incredibly close to my parents and sisters, miss my family so much. I am a homebody, and while I have never been homesick here, I really do miss being in my house with my family. My college at home is about 9 hours away from my hometown, so I am used to not seeing my family for a few months at a time. But being in a whole different country is a whole different story.
It could not be a better time to study abroad; not only do we have the ability to still text our families from thousands of miles away, but you can also actually see them (and of course your dog too) over FaceTime. This definitely makes things easier; I think it would have been a really tough experience for me if I could not talk to my family as often as I do.
I also miss my friends. Not in a FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) type of way that I am crying in bed, wishing I was at that fraternity party with them (believe me I do not miss frat parties). It is wishing you could be experiencing this with them. My friends who are back home and at my home college will probably laugh at this; they probably think it is silly that I miss them because I am traveling throughout Europe. They just don't understand how even studying abroad can get lonely sometimes, especially if you don't have your best friend at your side, which is something you are very used to.
So, to my family and my friends who are not abroad with me, I miss you guys. I do not want you guys to think I am taking this experience for granted or wishing it to end so I can see you guys, because that is not what I'm doing. However, I am not naive and I know that this experience will be ending soon (in less than a month actually). I just want to let you guys know that when I see you guys soon, I am going to be really excited to see you again and be able to share my experience with you.
