Not Only Finding Me

I was living a lie. I kept lying to myself that I was content going to a boarding school in a small town. I knew the desire to see the world was always present within me but I never knew that the opportunity would soon present itself. I have always been jealous of other girls my age that have a great relationship with their mothers. When they have boy troubles or are stressing out about something, they can always rely on their mothers to comfort them. Not only did I choose to find myself when I studied abroad but I was in need of a mother that could comfort me and show me how to be a mother someday.
The second my friend Paige and I landed in Sardinia, Italy, our palms started to sweat and I started to pick at my nails. The pressure of meeting your "new family" for the next five months is not something that most people will ever have to experience in their lifetime. This is not something that you can prepare yourself for. As I walked out of customs and saw my new family, my host mother immediately started bawling. My initial thought was that something was wrong and that I had already failed before my adventure had even started. The reality was that my mother was overjoyed that she had another daughter in her family. From the very beginning I was accepted for who I am and was encouraged every day to be who I want to be. Living with just a sister and a mother has helped me make an amazing connection with them that I would not be able to find back home in America. While I was there my "nonna" (italian for grandma) passed away and I was able to comfort and mourn with my family. Not one single moment passed by that I didn't feel like I belonged and wasn't loved. I was not only able to discover hidden things about myself, but I was able to find a family that will be forever in my heart.