The Semester Abroad That Wasn’t

I spent spring 2020 in Florence, watching the world shrink from my apartment window. I thought studying abroad would mean wild nights, new friends, maybe a little Italian. Instead, I memorized the cracks in the ceiling and the way the Arno looked at 5pm when the city was silent. I kept telling myself I was lucky—Florence, after all. But most days, I felt like a ghost haunting someone else’s life. I took photos I never posted, wrote journal entries I never finished. I missed home, but I missed the version of myself I thought I’d find here even more. Sometimes, the view is beautiful. Sometimes, it’s just a reminder of what you’re missing. #StudyAbroadReality #HomesickAbroad #TravelInterrupted #Travel