My Departure-itis

So, you know the saying about seniors who can't wait to finally be done with high school having "senioritis"? Well...that's me right now. But if you have been reading my blog, you know my departure-itis “symptoms” are caused by something much more…emozionante! Side affects include anxiety, random thoughts, restlessness, over excitement and a wee bit of stress.

Hey guys, it's me again, Emma. I am one of many exchange students (to-be) sitting at home right now while all of her friends are in the freshly waxed classrooms of their high school. Yep, the reason I am able to write this blog so early in the day is because I am not at school. Some call me “lucky” while others call me a “ditcher”. No matter the name, my chance has finally arrived. It's weird to think back on the days I was counting down from 150 days and now its less then 10. I fly out of NY on the 8th September!

Through time, I was able to contact helpful people in Italy as well as my host family, and received information about my school. I will be attending Liceo Scientifico Leonardo da Vinci. For those who don’t know how the Italian school system works: The word “Liceo” refers to a class of secondary schools. These schools each differ in their overall subject. (Liceo Sientifico (math and sciences), Liceo Languistico (languages), Liceo Tecnico (technology), Liceo Artistico (arts and history)…etc) Each school also provides more basic key classes as well.  I was placed in a Liceo Scientifico where I will find good chemistry and math teachers. Also, classes consist of about 30 kids who stay in the same room all day, while the teachers switch from class to class! Much different from high schools in the United States!  

After I had received my host family, my excitement and occasional sadness of leaving family and friends had over ridden some of my hopes and determination. I failed to find a summer job to keep myself occupied during summer, and instead had a summer well spent with my friends and learning the Italian language. Looking back, I wish I could change things. Mostly, I wish I had stuck to a job offer that was offered by a dear friend of mine and I regret that I didn’t follow through with my plans to help fundraise. My big yard sale still hasn’t worked out yet since Mom is busy working and weekends seem packed with what seems like endless Italian lessons and family visiting to say goodbye.

Beginning yesterday, I started packing. Let’s just say 44lbs should be a minimal for a teenager like me. You got it; AFS only allows one 44lb suitcase and one 22lb carry on. At first, I freaked out! There was no way that all my clothes were going to fit in those 2 bags. After hours of rummaging through my closet and cleaning out the clothes that I should have gotten rid of years ago, I finally started rolling my clothes and “test packing” them in my suitcase. To my surprise, it fit! I was shocked to find that all those clothes only weighed 30 lbs! Then……..I realized something. Those 30lbs was not including shoes, boots, jackets, or my host family’s gifts!

This has been one of the hardest things to prepare for, but I have no doubts that it won’t be as simply amazing as I imagine it to be. Now it’s up to me to finish packing, keep up on my language courses and prepare for hours on a plane.

I will make sure to update when I arrive in Italy.

Arrivederci!