Before coming to Italy, I had only been out of the country twice, both times to a small country in Africa where I worked as a missionary. Getting those experiences at such a young age was truly life changing and I felt confident in my ability to throw myself into any situation and not only feel comfortable, but succeed.

I also felt like I had a pretty good grip on what it meant to be culturally diverse no matter where I went and that nothing would surprise me or be too hard to adjust to. Besides, after living in and seeing the worst of the worst for four weeks I could handle anything right? Wrong.

Over these past eight weeks, I have learned a lot about myself and my own selfish views of the world. This world is so much larger than you, I, and those kids with the beaming smiles in Zomba, Malawi. There is an immense amount to learn and grow. I wish I would’ve realized this sooner in this twelve-week experience.

Thus far, I have been too focused on myself and my own feelings; being comfortable, adjusting, getting into a normal routine, and even trying not to eat too much gelato. But in reality, none of this is going to happen. I am in a foreign place, experiencing something new everyday, and constantly stepping out of my comfort zone, whether I like it or not.

Instead of being uneasy about this, I need to embrace it. I am such an insignificant part of this amazing world we live in, and I’ve never been happier to say that. My “problems” and “issues” are nothing to this world. Being uneasy and uncomfortable in life is how we continue to learn about ourselves and grow.

This journey has been difficult for me, but I’m done with focussing on myself. I cannot wait to take advantage of any opportunity I can to continue to grow and learn these last four weeks.

Mary Greenlee