When I arrived in Siena, Italy for the first time it felt magical. There were still Christmas lights up in the streets and the Piazza held a stunning tree that twinkled in the night. I was in awe of how any city could be that beautiful, but there it was. When I returned to Eugene after being gone for four months in the wonderful country of Italy it felt somewhat unreal. I remember landing at the Eugene airport at 1 a.m. and just wanting to go to bed, but the next morning felt almost surreal. It was a perfect PNW foggy with a slight misty rain coming down which I’m a sucker for. The Douglas-firs looked more majestic than I ever remember them being and just being able to enjoy my time back in Eugene before spring term started made me feel right back at home. Being in both places bring me so much joy and I hope that someday I’m able to visit both regularly once I’ve moved away.
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Coming back to the U.S. after three months abroad was an exciting and reliving experience. When I landed at the Detroit Airport it felt like a breath of fresh air after 20 hours of travel. It felt comfortable to know the social rules and be able to fully understand people without a language or cultural barrier. While I appreciated my time abroad getting to know Italian culture it can be nice to have the comfort of not sticking out like a tourist wherever you go.
Being abroad helped me to learn about other identities more than I’m able to back in the States as it helped me to open my mind to different cultures and types of people. It also helped me to feel more comfortable in my own identity as I was able to explore myself without being afraid of the judgment of people I knew back home.
When coming back home from a study abroad program it was important for me to share my stories with other people and to also take some time to myself and reflect on my experiences. I feel like it’s important to both be around other people and to take that time for yourself. Being around others lets you share about the culture you got to immerse yourself in and being on your own can help you to reflect on the experiences you had abroad and how they changed you as a person.
I would strongly encourage anyone who hasn’t yet to study abroad, even if it’s just for a few-week program in the summer. It can help you to broaden your view of the world and could even help you to explore your own identity in how it relates to others. There are so many people around the globe with similar identities to your own and you’ll never meet and learn from them if you don’t put yourself out there.
By Wil Tayco, Diverse Ducks Ambassador
Food, Culture, and Sustainability in Italy, Winter 2023