A Touch of Home

There is no feeling that compares to seeing someone you love after months of text conversations and short phone calls. When my mother stepped off the Tiburtina train, an undeniable sense of relief flowed over me. In that moment I realized just how much I had missed her. This revelation was strange to me. University of South Carolina is thirteen hours driving distance from my hometown in New Jersey. It’s rare that I see my family more than once during a semester, outside of the holiday break. I couldn’t quite comprehend in that moment why I had the overwhelming urge to hug my mom and never let go.

It took me almost the entirety of our ten days together for me to figure that out. I don’t think I’ve ever spent ten days with just my mom and me together. When you’re one of five kids, it’s just not realistic to send just one child and one parent on a trip to Italy. An entire week and a half just mom and I was a Christmas that came months too early. All my posts keep saying that the experience I’m writing about is the best experience I’ve had thus far, and this one is no exception.

We travelled to Venice for a weekend, took a water taxi, toured the Murano glass factory and got lost exploring a tiny but beautiful landscape. We spent four days in Rome, touring the Coliseum, the Forum and eating at some of my favorite restaurants, as well as some new ones. We travelled to Lucca and Pisa to visit our Italian family, whom my mom hadn’t seen in about six years. In addition to the places we got to explore, my mother was able to meet some of the friends I’ve made here. At first, I was struck with worry that having my Jersey life collide with my Italy life would be weird. These worries were easily set aside as my mother charmed every single friend and made it seem incredibly natural that we were sharing an Italian experience neither of us would have ever dreamt possible.

In those 10 days, I got to reconnect with my mom by showing my mom how much I have grown since coming abroad. Months ago, I was probably the worst person to give directions, and didn’t know how to read a map to save my life. In the ten days, I realized how well I had grown accustomed to figuring my way around without a severe dependence on GPS. I got to show her my world in Italy, something I never would have imagined occurring if it weren’t for the generosity of some very important people in our lives.

When most students talk about study abroad, they oftentimes forget to mention how much they miss their friends and family. I’m incredibly grateful that my mom was able to come and share even a piece of this opportunity with me. The memories we made in those ten days will be cherished for years to come, and it makes me even more excited to finish this semester strong at one of the best business schools in the world. It gave me a little perspective on the reason why I’m here and how I intend to use these experience to benefit others beyond myself. A touch of home was just what I needed to help me push through the semester’s end and enjoy the last eight weeks I have here.