Week One, This is New…
I can’t say that I have much experience living completely outside of my comfort zone. Sure, I have traveled, lived in a city away from home, and sought out disruptive experiences, but nothing quite like this. I knew in my idealistic mind that spending a school year trekking across the globe sounded like fun and a great opportunity to learn, but one year ago, did I actually expect myself to be doing such a thing? Absolutely not. How about 6 months ago, fresh off of an interview for a program that advertised such a year of exploration? Still no. How about now, as I write at my computer from an apartment in Charlottesville, Virginia? To be honest, I’m still coming to grips.
Despite my current state of diminishing disbelief, I AM embarking on such an adventure, and I am starting to get excited. My excitement levels weren’t quite at the same level as my nervousness one week ago, but after a week of orientation, meeting new people, and settling in, I think that I am ready for the challenge. But just to recap what has happened over the past ten days or so, lets go back:

On Wednesday, August 29, I said goodbye to Abbeville, Louisiana as my mom and I set out to make the roughly seventeen our trek to the University of Virginia. Having never lived outside the state for a meaningful period of time, I knew that this process was going to be tough. And unfortunately, I was right! All my memories, friends, family, and life experiences have been wrapped up in this steamy, humid place, and for a few moments, I was having a hard time believing that I could live anywhere else!

But that is the nice thing about marathon road trips: you have LOTS of time to think. I’m not sure if I calmed my nerves very much, but I did somewhat come to grips with the reality of the situation as my mom and I stopped off in Chattanooga, Tennessee for the night. I finally understood that this year away from home was going to be a great opportunity for me to discover what is important to me, and how I really prioritze my value system. While sure, I think that I could have figured this out living in a place where I feel like I’m at home, ripping off that boot-shaped bandaid for a while will give me a new perspective that will hopefully help bring my life aspirations a little better into focus.

I have been hearing this same sentiment from people for months now, but it wasn’t until I was halfway to my destination that I truly took it to heart. No matter how difficult, this experience was going to be good for me. Saying goodbye is hard, but doing so ushers in a whole new sense of appreciation. As my mom and I drove ever closer to our final destination, I started to feel more self-assured, and ready to just start the dang thing.
Moving in was a breeze (as far as my prior experiences go)! My apartment complex seemed basic, but had absolutely everything that I would need to live in for three months. Apartment-living almost always comes with roommates, and I got meet one of mine, Nicola, for the first time on Thursday as I rolled into town. Nic is an incredibly nice, joyful, and funny Italian from Perugia. He was the first to tell me that Perugia was home to the chocolates that Americans give on Valentine’s Day, so that is easy enough to remember! I said that Abbeville is home to a couple of fantastic oyster restaurants, but I’m not sure that my claim held as much weight… Regardless, we had plenty of good conversation as I set up my room, and I grew a little more excited as I now knew that I would be living with a friend with a vastly different worldview.

I spent the next couple of days with my mom, putting finishing touches on the apartment, exploring Charlottesville’s main attractions, and discovering the best grocery store in THE WORLD (it’s called Wegmans, if your curious… look it up). I was happy to have her around for a few days, especially as I transitioned into my new environment with faces I was only familiar with through social media. But eventually, it was time for her to go home too. That car ride to the airport was a tough one. There were PLENTY of tears as I dropped her off at the security terminal. And as I drove away, I knew that the bandaid was completely ripped off.
Lets go.
Now there was no excuse for me. It was time to dive in and really get acquainted with the 53 other people I’d be spending my year with. And up to this point, I’ve done just that! We’ve had parties, dinners, and excursions together that have really done a great deal for establishing those initial relationships. Just the fact that we all live in the same apartment building means a great deal. And on top of that, we all have the same class schedule! You’d really have to try to not make friends in a situation like this.

Regardless, its been a great time. I’ve really come to enjoy the company of my European, Chinese, and US classmates. I am yet to hear everyone’s story, but it is pretty crazy the amount of cultural diversity we have happening in one program. Across 54 students, we have 13 nationalities represented. That doesn’t even cover the diversity within a given country! I’ll be the first to say that as the token Louisianian, I am a far cry from some of my Ohioan classmates, for example. Nic would say the same thing about Italians too. We’ve got the whole country covered, from Milan to Naples, and don’t you even begin to compare the two! I can already tell that, along with everything I gain from classes, that I will learn so much from these different cultural perspectives. It gets me excited.

So now as I sit here on Sunday, typing out this post, I finally find myself ready for the task at hand. Sure, I’ve still got some nervousness, but I feel better prepared to tackle the scholastic challenge ahead knowing that my cohort is made up of a solid group of folks. I told my mom before she left that I hated the feeling of, “Back to School,” and I stand by that. But at least that is no longer the dominating emotion that I am experiencing as I look at my first full day of classes tomorrow. For now, I am feeling strangely calm. I realize that I need to live in this moment, enjoy this experience for what it is, and appreciate the hand that life has dealt me. I have been so fortunate up to this point in my life, and I need to dive right in, fully embracing the opportunity at hand.
Here are a couple more pictures that I took during this orientation week… I wasn't quite sure how to structure them into the narrative of the post, but please enjoy anyways!





Until next week!
-Drew

