So I am leaving Genoa and returning to the United States tomorrow, and I cannot believe how quickly this semester has flown by! I'm so incredibly glad to have had this experience, which has truly been one of the best, if not the best, experiences of my life. I will always have tons of great memories from this trip, and though it sounds a little cheesy, this semester has definitely changed me as a person. Being away from the people I'm used to depending on and having to find out how to travel across Europe has made me a much more independent person. At the moment, I can't decide whether to feel happy or sad. I'm thrilled to get back to Gary, my family, my friends, and the things I've been missing from home, but I'm so sad to leave Genoa and the villa, not knowing when I'll have the chance to return.

Some of the things I'm looking forward to most when I get back to the US:
1. not having to share a bathroom with 11 boys
2. Taco Bell
3. driving in my car (something I haven't done in 4 months!)
4. having alone time and a room to myself
5. crab cakes
6. being able to talk to people in public
7. sushi
8. being able to wear shorts/dresses/tank tops/flip flops without being stared at
9. being able to do laundry without strategizing about getting a washer and dryer
10. listening to the radio and watching TV

Things I will miss from here:
1. gelato
2. constantly having friends around to talk to and hang out with
3. the beautiful views
4. being expected to travel and have fun every single weekend
5. the pasta
6. the amazing shoes and other shopping
7. the freedom to walk down to the train station and hop on a train to just about anywhere
8. waking up in the villa
9. sitting out on our balcony and drinking wine
10. our dinners in the villa - not just the food, but having 21 people to talk to at every single meal