Departures

I have some news! Prince Harry and I eloped this weekend. It was kind of a whirlwind, but we're back in Rome right now where he is going to see me back to the States.

Unfortunately, not true. But I am in Rome. By myself. While I didn't catch a glimpse of the princes, my time in London was fabulous. Major props to Jules for not completely freaking out about my solo travel (or, freaking out but not letting me know about it!). I love my mom in that she completely encourages me to go out of my comfort zone, even if she's nervous about it. And still makes sure I'm taken care of. One of the many reasons she's so wonderful! Also doesn't hurt that I'm getting one of my favorite home cooked meals tomorrow night. Welcome home, Maria!

In all seriousness, I cannot hide the fact that I am incredibly proud of myself. I've navigated foreign airports, major cities, and transportation systems for ten days. Essentially alone. For the London portion, totally alone. For someone who had never even traveled outside of the US before four months ago, this feels like a major accomplishment. I looked at my extension trip as a "graduation" in a sense. I used everything I learned all semester, both about myself and traveling in general. And I did it. Wow.

I'll hit the highlights of the trip now, and expand when I'm not exhausted and anticipating a 4:30am wake up! To start, God bless the woman who captured this moment:

I wish I was Hermione, let's be real. 

No lie, at least twelve people have been harping me for Harry Potter tour deats. If you are anywhere near London, GO. That is all. I have no shame in saying that I cried during parts. It really hit me. This was such a huge part of my childhood. More in the coming days, no worries!

I saw the classic sites, of course.

Westminster...so hauntingly beautiful, both inside and out

Buckingham Palace

The Tower of London was one of my favorites. Definitely worth the arm and a leg I paid for admission.

My stroll in Hyde Park completely reaffirmed my love of long, reflective walks. (See "introversion" post). It was stunning.

London actually reminded me of Boston a bit. Just the atmosphere and green spaces. I shouldn't be too surprised because of history, but still. That's a compliment to London, because no city will ever top Boston in my eyes!

Honestly, I'm really nervous about coming back to the States. Nervous about how I'm different, nervous about not knowing what these differences will mean. And I'm not talking about my longer hair (mid-back length now) or slightly altered fashion sense or eating habits. I'm nervous about my new attitude on life, even though it's a great one. Nervous that it will disappear and I'll get stuck in a routine again. In Perugia, I had no routine really. And I absolutely loved that. Frankly, after a few years of intense stress, it was perfect. I am trying to remind myself that I can bring these amazing changes back with me. But it's just hard to foresee how that will happen, and how my relationships will be. Or how I will adjust. I know it will take time.

Time. Both a blessing and a curse. As someone told me recently, I just have to go easy on myself. And have patience.

And I'm going to keep writing. It's one of my favorite pastimes, and has been a wonderful outlet. So if any of my hypothetical readers (besides mom) are out there, this isn't the end. Not even close. That's actually a good line:

This isn't the end of my experience. Actually, when I look at the incredibly special friendships that I've made and my new outlook on life, I realize that my experiences with these people and myself are just beginning.

So now, as I get ready for bed during my last night in Italy for some time, my heart is sad. I cannot lie. Achingly sad. But I am at peace. In less than twenty-four hours, I will joyfully hug Joey and Mom in the same spot where I tearfully said goodbye just four short months ago. What a concept. Crazy ride.

But that's life, right? Arrivals and departures. Hellos and goodbyes. "I'll see you laters." And then those "see you laters" come and it all floods back. Sometimes, we're at one end. Sometimes the other.

It's funny though, because when you depart from one place, you HAVE to arrive at another. There's no choice. When we depart Platform 9 3/4, we arrive at Hogwarts. When we die, we arrive in Heaven. When we depart from one mentality, we have to arrive at a different way of thinking. So even though I'm departing Italy, I have to be arriving somewhere. And I'm excited to see where exactly I land.