Studying abroad was the best decision I could have possibly made. Not only did I engage in a completely new culture, but I found myself in Florence. My gratitude reaches beyond the bounds of this letter. In fact words cannot accurately describe what I have gained in terms of myself, but I would like to share a few experiences with you in order to express my appreciation.

Thanks to SAI, I was able to swim in the Mediterranean Sea, attend my first soccer match ever, and live in city for four months with an overwhelming amount of beauty and art. Before traveling to Florence, I had never been out of the United States. In fact it’s been my dream since I was eleven years old to visit Italy. My dream became reality last semester. While in Italy, I tasted wine in the countryside of Siena, rode a gondola in Venice, went to an Opera in Verona, explored the many monuments and history of Rome, and looked over the vast countryside on the top of the hill in Volterra.

I learned more Italian than I ever thought possible in such a short amount of time. My host family helped with this, as conversations in the home were always in Italian.  My host mother, Graziella, was a chef at one point in her life so the food was amazing. She opened up her home and treated me like one of her own. Even though we didn’t understand each other most of the time, love is a universal language. And I can now say that with the upmost confidence: I miss her and Italy so much. In fact her name, Graziella, means blessing, and she truly was.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you for allowing me to experience, taste, and learn. I have gained friends and memories that will stay with me long after my college experience. And thank you for allowing me to expand my comfort zone and my waist line. Without SAI, and my scholarship sponsor, I would truly be a different person than I am today.

-Shelbie, Austin College