A few words because it's almost May (watch out..it's cheesy!)

Sooo, Marina deceived me about Skype times (just kidding..it was probably my fault, I was a tad over-zealous) and I want to get the most out of this internet cafe (and it's pouring out..and..my umbrella broke, I'm down 4 at this point; I refuse to buy another one!)

Anyway, I'm not really sure how much I'll be posting given that this is...get ready...my.last.week. WOW. I know. So I thought I'd write a little wrap-up entry and anything else I put on is just bonus prizes.

Where I'm at: Tuesday = exams, Thursday = Mom and Dad come for a week, after that I'll be in Rome with Tory and Zoe for a few days, then London with Zoe and the Dans, and then...wommmp wommmppp home. hahaha. :(

It feels so surreal to realize that I'll be off and out in just a "paio di giorni" - few days. I feel like I just got here, and at the same time, I feel that I've been in Perugia for years. I'm trying to hold onto everything, but that just makes time go by even faster.

At the end of it all though, I look back on what I wrote when I started this blog in January- the goals I made for my time here:

1. Become fluent
2. Lose myself in Italian culture
3. Find the answers to all of my questions
4. Have amazing adventures

I wish I could cross off with confidence each one (okay, I'll give myself #4, I've had a few); almost four months here has taught me one thing without a doubt: four months is not enough. I've learned that fluency - what is fluency? - is not a level that can be mastered or reached but a state that can take a lifetime or more to become. I'm proud of the improvements I've made, but I have a long way to go - and this accent, this stupid accent of mine..it's not going anywhere without a fight.

Getting lost in Italian culture? I got lost - that I know. Lost in a good way. The friends I've made from Italy and from all over the world have made me open to so many new and different perspectives, I am definitly changed by my experiences here.

And of answers to my questions - I'm missing a few, but I've learned a lot for the short time I've had here, and I think I'll find them eventually.

Okay, this entry is getting Lifetime movie-esque, so I'll spare you all and close with this:

Perugia, Italy, study abroad, has been everything and nothing of what I thought it would be. It has been one of my greatest challenges and most rewarding experiences, and I'm so blessed and happy to have been able to had it. It's not over - I have to keep reminding myself that, and I plan on making this week count. But looking back on my time here - it's been pretty good.

Italy, you haven't seen the last of me. Until the States!..:( <3Gabrielle