Last month in PG!

Alas, it has finally come around. My last month in Perugia. I know I should be all sad to leave but I'm pretty pumped.

Louisa, shame on you. Happy to leave? No. Look outside, eat some handmade pasta, drink some wine...

My response: it's raining, I have enough pasta lbs. tyvm, and I think wine will mess with my cold haha. Your immediate reaction: what a grump! My retort: seriously. such a grumpy gremlin attitude.

Despite my natural ability to complain tirelessly, it's very difficult to leave Italy. I have a lot of regrets. One main problem is forgetting the "movie version of living in Italy" expectations. For example, I'm frustrated how hard it is for me to speak Italian comfortably. Because in the movie version of my life, I would be fluent after 7 months. Alas, in reality, learning a language takes a really long time. Also, I wouldn't say it comes natural to me at all, not the humility nor the knack! I'm so envious of people who grew up speaking two languages. They had to play around with languages long ago! Most importantly, I cut myself short. My doubt leads me to make dumb mistakes or give up when I am totally competent to express myself in the situation but too proud or scared to.

For awhile, I planned on staying until the end of June. That would be sufficient time, right? However, as I got closer to June, all I could think was how impatient I was to get the hell out of Europe. How I dreaded having to move into a new apartment and start from scratch socially. I found myself being tense with anxiety. I realized it was time to go home. I thought perhaps I was making a mistake, until multiple people told me they had no idea how long I lasted here/they were jealous that I could go home first. I know for certain I will return but I think 8 months in Perugia has been quite enough. I started C1 last week and I hate it. It's all lecture and I cannot translate and remember at the same time.

Though C1 is terrible, I have an excellent mini vacation to distract me coming up. My friend John's family friend is the (Ukrainian?) Orthodox archbishop of Palermo. (!!) A big group of us are going to Palermo Friday-Wednesday to visit! I'm so EXCITED! I've never been to Sicily and it'll be warm. We'll go to beach. Eat excellent seafood. Hang out with the archbishop. But most of all, we will be missing classsss!! Thrilling.

After Palermo, it'll be a week of class and then the program ends! My dad will come see me in Perugia for a day or two. Then we'll pack me up and go to Rome for the weekend. Next, Bari, methinks. Then Trieste, Slovenia, Venice. I will be flying out of Venice May 7th and LANDING May 7th in Phoenix. I'll be the girl kissing the ground crying tears of joy.