It’s truly surreal that the time has finally come for me to begin my year abroad. Packing up my life into a few suitcases isn’t a completely foreign thing for me, as I usually make an end of summer trek back to Holy Cross from Seattle, but now my final destination will be even farther away. In less than 24 hours, I will be en route to Florence.
My last few months at home have been spent participating in a ministry internship funded through Holy Cross at a local cathedral , spending time with my friends, and practicing my Italian (much to my younger sister’s annoyance). I’ve always held a special affection for Italy and its culture after visiting there with my family when I was a kid.
At the risk of sounding overly romantic, I can remember being fascinated by the history of everything and how tangible it all was there. Looking back, I think that having that opportunity to travel informed my passion for studying comparative religion now. I’m so looking forward to continuing my studies in a place where I’ll get to experience spirituality through a different lens.
It’s impossible to not be filled with uncertainty at this point with all of the unknowns on the horizon like how I’ll adjust to living in a new environment and to attending an Italian university. But behind all the anxiety I may be feeling now, there’s also an excitement for what lies ahead and a willingness to heed this call to adventure.
A presto!
Kate
