“Wow,” they all exclaim upon hearing I come from California, “America! That’s incredible!”

It’s truly surreal to hear awe in people’s voices when I talk about my home because to me, Italy is the true dream. Italy is a fantasy vacation that I’ve come to familiarize with; at this point, I hardly know how I’ll bear to leave at the end of my year abroad! I feel infinitely lucky every day to live in Bologna. Last week, I was thankful for the beautiful portici that shielded me from the rain (something we seldom see in California). Today, and every other day, I am especially gratified by la lingua italiana for all of its poetic vocabulary.