My Winter Break was a recess like no other.
It began as it has begun each and every year. I left for home, hurried but relaxed, as soon as the final exam booklet was pledged and handed in. After a week of visiting with every person and food establishment I missed during my semester in Charlottesville, the Christmas festivities began.
Until Dec. 30, the established routine was maintained. However, I did not spend that day as I typically would have, doing my best to put a dent in our fridge full of leftovers while competing with my brother to become the master of our newest video game.
On the morning of Dec. 30, I got onto a plane. Four flights and 17 hours later I set a tired foot down in Italy for what would easily become the best two weeks of my college career.
Right off the bat, it became clear that I was in an entirely new world. A small group of us students decided to travel to Florence a day early and brave the throngs of Italians in the streets so that we could experience New Year's Eve in a foreign land. For me, the loud music and constant firecracker explosions were only half as intimidating as the increasingly drunk Italians who would finish full bottles of wine in the streets before launching them into the air to shatter in the middle of a crowd.
It's true - after the first night, I was sure the romantic and dreamlike Italy I had come to expect might actually become a nightmare.
However, the insanity of New Year's was quickly relieved when we united with the rest of our group Jan. 1. It's safe to say we welcomed the structure - and safety in numbers - the J-Term program would provide. Oh, and we were in Italy, so that was an overwhelmingly positive reality.
And Italy was in itself an overwhelmingly positive place. In preparation for the trip, we were asked to reflect on our expectations for what we would experience overseas. I remember citing films such as "Eat, Pray, Love" and "Under the Tuscan Sun" as I mentioned the allure of Italy's beauty and romanticism. I even used the term "magical" in my pre-departure paper.
To say that I had high expectations for my trip to Italy would be the biggest understatement since Bill Gates said, "Hey guys, I think I might have a good idea."
Each morning we would wake up for class and then travel by train or bus to a different destination. Many nights I would look at the next day's itinerary and assume the next day would be less than exciting. Twenty-four hours and 200 pictures later, I had proven myself wrong. The architecture, the nature, the people and the language amazed me.
It's overwhelming to think of all the things I learned overseas in just two quick weeks. The academic load was easily manageable and provided a perfect complement to our daily excursions. Outside of class, we became more acquainted with the Italian language - specifically the culinary terms. I'm proud to say that by the end of my time in Italy, I could walk into any restaurant and order my favorite type of pizza and a large cup of tiramisu gelato without stumbling.
Despite my diverse education, the most important thing I learned had almost nothing to do with the destination itself. During my time in Italy, I had the chance to get to know some truly amazing people. I left the United States without knowing a single person on the trip. Looking back, it surprises me given my tendency toward dependence, but my Tuscan comrades made it easy to forget that we weren't friends for a lifetime beforehand.
The J-Term experience offers an interesting perspective regarding your own student body. Despite the fact that we all attend the same school, very few of us knew one another. We came together as strangers and became quick friends. By the end, we had asked hundreds of times, "Guys, how is it possible that we weren't best friends before now?"
It's strange to think I traveled across the world and learned as much about the people here in Charlottesville as I did about the foreign Italian culture and history.
The trip was a success, and I don't doubt that it would have been a memorable experience regardless of the people I traveled with. However, it ended up being much more than that thanks to the friendships.
Looking back, maybe "magical" wasn't such a lofty expectation for after all.
Tyler's column runs biweekly Wednesdays. He can reached at t.deboard@cavalierdaily.com.
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