Upon arrival, it felt very weird to be home. To me, Milan was home and I just traveled back to Austin which is home… Where exactly is home? My family were very happy to see me, and some drove over from Houston to see me. I was very happy to be back home and see my family. I am now able to depend them like I use to and enjoy my free time for myself. I already miss Milan though. I miss walking every day for miles and seeing the familiar faces around me, waving or smiling at me and saying “ciao”. I miss walking in a coffee shop to get a cappuccino and a croissant and eating them so fast to make it to class on time. I miss getting lost in the tiny streets but ending up somewhere familiar because the city is like an aquarium that you can’t really escape. I miss looking out of my window at night and seeing the streets full of people, music, drinks and food. I miss watching football with strangers at random bars. I miss the aperitivo, the pizza, the pasta and what I miss the most is the gelato. I miss it so much I am ready to go back. I am not sure when will be the next time I will go back, but my roommates and I made a pact, we will meet again in 10 years. Also, Italy reminded me of my original home, Lebanon. The streets, the people, the driving… all of it was similar to my culture. I went to visit Sant Ambrogio church one Sunday afternoon and I saw all the parish gathered in the back, eating together, playing together, just like how it used to be. I also remember walking in busy streets full of shops and it reminded me of the “souk”. I saw old people hanging out with young ones, adults sitting in a coffee shop for hours to talk; I even saw a merchant selling fruits in a stand on the side walk, just like in Lebanon. I was out with an Italian guy, that’s been to Lebanon, one night and he told me, “all the Mediterranean countries have similar cultures, we and the Greeks are considered one, same with the Lebanese and even the Egyptians.” It is very true! I am glad to be back in Austin and I consider myself lucky to gaining the chance to study and live in Italy. I learned about myself a lot since I was on my own for the first time and I cannot wait to travel more in the future. I do miss my mother’s cooking a lot though!
