Hello, it's Morgan Pagel. I have really been missing Siena, Italy! Coming home has been very bittersweet, and I find myself wishing I was back abroad. I enjoyed my time there so much!
One big adjustment I've been getting used to is the jetlag. Waking up at five in the morning for a week straight was not on my agenda. My tip is to be gentle with yourself. It is going to take some time to readjust, so limiting self-judgement is key.
I would say arriving home was full of less unknowns, yet it was still very difficult. It was sad to say goodbye to the friends and the city I grew to love.
The hardest part for me going abroad was not being able to workout and eat my usual meals. It was hard for me to stray outside my norm, and I was definitely outside of my comfort zone. Meal times and cuisines were drastically different from what I was used to, and I found it hard to accept walking as my only form of exercise. Although these thoughts popped up sometimes, I still felt as if going abroad was worth it.
My advice to anyone from a similar background as me would be to get out of your comfort zone and pursue an experience like study abroad. There is so much more to life than tracking meals and working out. The world is so incredible, and there are plenty of kind and amazing people waiting to meet you. You will make so many great memories, and you may even find that something like food noise will go down quite a bit when you are having a good time.
Thank you for following me along through my journey abroad in Siena. Ciao!
Morgan Pagel, Diverse Duck Ambassador