So, my experience here in Milano is running out of time. I still have some weeks left and I try to make the most out of it. May was hectic since that’s when the exam period started and I had four exams to do; two written and two oral. Well, I’ll just say that it was a bit stressful to have an exam with 31 multiple choice questions during 15 minutes – I got 18 which was the limit I needed to pass. Or another exam where I lost all my knowledge and my ability to understand the English language – but I passed that as well. The public speaking exam was my time to shine and that’s the exam I look back on with a smile. And my last one was an oral one and I think I’ve never sweated so much in a short amount of time when the professor asked me the questions. It felt like I got all the questions I didn’t want to get, but somehow I made sure to pass that as well. I MADE IT. I got through the semester with passing all my courses at the same time as I have travelled around the country, gotten to know a lot of new people and shown my friends from home all my favorite spots around the city.
It’s hard not to get emotional while thinking of where I started. Afraid of going to the supermarket since they didn’t speak English to now freely try to make myself understood when I meet someone who only speaks Italian. I’ve been on late night adventures, singing my heart out to ABBA on the dance floor and, running a half marathon in the center of the city. And of course I’ve eaten Italian food like crazy, buying a post card in every city I’ve visited, and said “solo parlo un po´ di Italiano” (I only speak a bit Italian) a million times. A year ago, if someone would have said that I would be sleeping on the floor on a ferry to Sardegna for a night or skipping a nights’ sleep due to a night out or have a full conversation in Italian (adding gestures and some English words) with an older woman at our local washing place – I would have said NO WAY.
Study abroad is an adventure and you never know what your adventure contains. Mine hasn’t been the same as the other Swedish students here, but it’s all about what you want. Nothing happens if you don’t make decisions or try new things. Just moving abroad is going out of your comfort zone, and believe me when I say that this experience tests your braveness in a new way. In a fantastic way. It’s about personal development, creating memories at the same time as you study for your future. I will never regret this experience and I hope that all of you take the chance if you get it. I would love to do it all over again, but for now I can’t wait to go back to Sweden, walk along Vätterstranden, eat kanelbullar like crazy, and say “hej” and “tack” to the people I meet.
Guess it’s time for me to answer the question I named this post with. Yes it was worth it. Every second of it. So, thank you Milano, you will forever be in my heart!
