By Amber Wright
“I’m a fickle girl who falls in love easily. It’s happened about a million times since I started my study abroad journey four months ago. I get off the bus/plane/train and it’s love at first sight. No matter where I am, every street, corner shop, and coffee bar seem as if they’re covered in gold. In Siena, I fell in love faster than the horses ran in the Palio di Siena, and in Cinque Terre I could feel the warmth of the sun all through my body – at least for the ten minutes it was out. I’m in love, and I can’t imagine leaving this feeling behind.” – A reflection from my personal journal.
It wasn’t until a month after arriving in Italy that I realized I hadn’t actually bought any souvenirs. At first, I was a little bummed I didn’t buy a bunch of things from the places that I had been exploring, but as I thought about it more, I was thankful I didn’t. Being abroad did not have to be something I did to acquire things. I didn’t have the budget for that, nor did I want to have to carry pointless souvenirs. Instead, I had accumulated memories, feelings, and stories. I hadn’t wasted any time in souvenir shops, instead I was just present where I was spending money on museums and experiences rather than keychains.
I’m one of those individuals who has always kept a journal in some form or fashion. I also have a problem because when I see a new one that catches my eye, I have to have it – which also means I have about a hundred half-finished notebooks. My travel writing class here at FUA requires you to keep a journal for class, which I’m very thankful for. I get so caught up in the exciting day to day, that I often don’t take a breather or moment to reflect. Being held accountable on a constant basis, to journal makes me sit every so often and really reflect on what I’m seeing, doing, and encountering. I have a running list of “things I’ve learned traveling,” “places I need to go back to,” and “favorite memories.” I also have multiple entries about things I’m missing from home, things encountered that I dislike, and general grievances from that day. It’s me and my thoughts put down onto paper, and nothing could accurately represent my time abroad more than this journal.
My journal has actually become the best souvenir I could have asked for. In it now holds the memory of when I went wine tasting for the first time in beautiful Vinci in Tuscany, and I absolutely did not like the glass I had. In addition to my memories of living and studying in Florence, it contains the story of when I went to Portugal with my best friends and walked home in the rain, lost, but somehow wound up in front of a beautiful monastery. It holds the account of each outlandish costume I ran into in Barcelona on Halloween. My journal is also full of visuals – i.e. funny photostrips from the photobooth across from a favorite pizza slice stop in Florence – every photo features at least one friend taking an overly ambitious bite.
Other than the photostrips, I would say you can’t buy memories. Your thoughts and memories will last longer than any tee-shirt or key chain would. Invest in a journal and constantly reflect and write down what has been happening during your studies abroad. Keep a list of your favorite spots in Florence and jot down the funny moments you have with your friends on the train. Write down how the interior of Santa Croce made you feel, and what you thought about the view from the Duomo. Instead of just being able to say you’ve been to this place and purchased a trinket, a journal will reveal the true fruits of your experiences. It will safeguard your memories, thoughts, feelings, and lessons all associated with a new place, and it will be completely priceless.