Do you ever feel yourself planning for a memory while you are in the middle of living one? This is a habit I fall into every day. On the plane ride to Rome, I was texting my parent’s plans for my senior year at Auburn that I wished to accomplish when I get back. My dad’s response was, “You are on the way to Italy for the summer, why are you thinking about this?” I thought to myself, partly because I think I get that aspect from my mom who has always taught me to plan in advance. In a deeper sense, I think I plan to make myself feel in control of my future. If I am two steps ahead, I know what to expect. This gives me comfort in a country where I can’t speak the language and am unfamiliar with the culture. 

I arrived in Ariccia with no plans, and no sense of what was to come. This caused major stress. Within the first week, I had almost all my weekends planned with the reality of the influx of travelers that come with summer holiday. I spent nights coordinating with my friends, trying to hit everyone’s dream destination within the 12 weekends we will spend in Europe. 

With all these plans now set in stone, I hope to stop myself from thinking about the future, and live in the moment. In Greek philosophy, they use the word Epicureanism to describe this concept, it translates to “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we may die”. With our class days filled with cooking classes, cappuccino workshops, and wine tastings, I know it will not be difficult to keep mindfulness. Although sometimes I know my planning may distract from the moment, I think it is also my greatest strength and transforms our plans into reality. During my time here, one of my goals is to stop planning and let plans happen to me. Some of the best memories come in the spur of the moment when we aren’t expecting it. We are so often caught up in what happens next, and forget to think how fortunate we are to live this life in Italy.

Sarah Clay