Senior year in Italy
Throughout the orientation week at NYUAD, every freshman was greeted with three questions: "What's your name, where are you from, and what's your major?" I responded, "My name is Brian. I'm from South Korea, but I grew up in the States, and I don't know what I will major in." But after this initial, and somewhat superficial, icebreaker, as people started to ask me more about my high school experience and life in general, I could not help but talk about my senior year in Italy, a crucial moment in my personal growth.
On August 29th, 2015, I got on the plane from Boston to Rome with 50 other American students. When we arrived in Viterbo, barely any of us could speak Italian besides a simple "ciao" to our new host families. Beyond the linguistic challenges, we had to make new friends and accustom to a new family lifestyle in an unfamiliar environment. Needless to say, spending a senior year back at my home school would have been much easier.
But what I have gained is so much more profound. I have come to appreciate my family, especially my brothers. Coming from a boarding school experience, I had friends living within a 100 feet radius when I needed emotional support. Now, they were across the Atlantic, thousands of miles away. Even my new friends in Italy lived at least a 20 minute-drive away. So I started to reach out to my older brothers whenever I was tired of avoiding my host family's verbal conflicts, cracking the code to this foreign language, or stressed about my future. Also, after living in Italy, whose culture respects those who remain in their birthplace, I'm more receptive to the idea of settling down one day. My friends know how unquenchable my wanderlust is, but Italy taught me that everyone needs somewhere to call home, somewhere they can fall back on. Who knows where that will be for my 40 year-old self? Perhaps Korea, the United States, Italy, or somewhere I have not discovered yet. But should an opportunity arise, I will be more willing to accept the offer to settle down.
The foremost reason why I consider this experience amazing, however, is my classmates. Without them, the class trips to Milan, Sicily, Rome, and Naples would have been bland. Without them, all of my the independent trips (to Venice, Cinque Terre, Paris, Sevilla, and San Marino) would have been unexciting. Within a year, we have bonded over school technology issues, gelato obsession, annoying the Italians with our naturally loud voices, running to catch the last bus before the curfew, learning how to cook pasta from scratch, and so much more. By May 25th, 2016, when we all said goodbye to Viterbo and arrived in Boston, I had friendships that are irreplaceable, despite another Ocean-away distance.
As I start to settle in the UAE, a country I have yet to explore more, I will always compare how I felt the day of departure and how I felt the day of return. In August, I was confused and apprehensive. In May, however, I was grateful for the experience and ready for another adventure. I'm still unsure about whether or not leaving my home school was the right choice; I had lost touch with so many friends and missed various events people shared without me. Yet, what I am sure about is that I would not trade my senior year in Italy for anything because it has been such an unforgettable experience. And I hope that my time at NYUAD will be unforgettable as well.