Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a glass box watching your entire life pass you by with no idea how to stop it? It sounds dark, I know, but it has not been that bad. I have had great times with even greater people, but a part of me always felt like I could not live in the moment. I felt the constant urge to live my life to the fullest and soak in every second, but I didn’t know how. I wanted to feel the rush of nervous new beginnings, not knowing what was coming next, but still confused on how to confidently experience it. It is safe to say being here for the past month has finally taught me how.

There is a bittersweet feeling when you realize in a single moment, “I am going to miss this moment for the rest of my life,” and there’s nothing else you can do but sit in it. So far, I have learned to fill up your mind with as many smells, sounds, and memories that you can. But when the moment passes, it does not mean it is gone. Small moments like those are what keep you going and remind you that there was memorable past and an exciting future ahead. Change, growth, and discomfort are inevitable, but it is what you do with those feelings that shape you into the person you will soon become.

Taking the first step onto the plane away from my parents, away from a city and country I knew so well, and away from every comfort I knew gave me a thrill of independence. I knew I had to grab a hold of that feeling and run with it. Immersing myself into an experience with 21 girls I had never met before, but had probably crossed paths with hundreds of times, has already taught me so much about the joys of trying new things and sinking into every moment during them. Don’t be scared to say yes, always keep an open mind, and take life one step at a time.

Being here for three months, something I have noticed the most is that Italians take life slow and easy. They live in each and every moment, not rushing from place to place. In America, almost everyone is working on their next move, figuring out what step to take next, and not looking down and realizing the blessings right where they are. If there is one message I take away from living in this beautiful country, it is to find the moment and live in it.

With so much love,

Molly Harrington