Wonderful Time in My Life

While I was abroad, I grew so much. I realized that I loved to travel and see places, meet new people, experience a new culture. I can still remember getting off the train my first day meeting my family. I was so nervous. I didn't speak Italian and I really hoped they would like me. As we pulled up to the train station, there was a huge American flag sign that said "Welcome Ashley". As I got up and grab my stuff, my knees were shaking. I walked down the steps through the door and I was greeted with a sea of people. There stood my soon to be friends and family. Everyone threw their arms around me and kissed me on the cheeks. I made my way through the crowd and there was my host family. They began telling me how excited they were and that they could not wait to begin this new adventure together, which was exactly how I felt. Throughout my stay there were ups and downs because naturally I became home sick at different time. However, they were completely understanding and helped the best they could. I was so fortunate to have such a great family and a wonderful school to attend. The friends I made there are some I still talk with and think about often. I know that when I get my next chance to return to Italy, I will have people to see, a place to stay, and wonderful memories to reminisce. The proof of this lies in last summer, when I returned to Italy for the first time since my program in 2010 and was greeted with open arms by my host sister in the new city she lived in. She took me around and treated me just like family. The connections that you make while on an AFS program are incredible and cannot be traded for anything. This was the best decision I have ever made.