Final comments

So BU is already kicking my butt. Being a last-semester student isn't easy, that's for sure. Between getting photo stuff done for COM, preparing an hour-long presentation for Media Law, and keeping up with the interesting although not easy readings for LI 459: Primo Levi within Holocaust Lit, I've already felt as though I've gone under a few times.

Now that I'm back into the swing of university, I don't have as much time to dwell on Padova, although I do still miss it everyday. Maybe I think about it right before I go to sleep, or when a song, a food or a person reminds me of it. Being back in Boston, away from my friends from abroad and away from the city I am in love with, has been hard, to be honest.

I'm about to turn this blog and 12 prints over to BU's Office of International Studies to complete my scholarship program. The 12 photos I chose are woven throughout my posts, but for a quick rundown of what and why I chose them:

1. The clock. This was one of the first things I learned about upon arrival to Padova, and was one of the first of many historical/narrative explanations Annette and I got from our host dad, Agostino.

2. The lion. A symbol of Saint Mark, and thus, of Venice, this shows that Padova used to be, and still is, within the sphere of influence of the tiny, yet hugely powerful, city of canals.

3. The nuns. A striking image recorded during my first days in Padova. I still love imagining the azure-clad nuns posing for their pictures, because it makes me laugh a little, and because it brings me back to that warm, sunny September day when we all stood around watching them.

4. The window. The shutters on Italian windows came across as a big difference from American life. I don't know why the difference seemed so grand to me, but it feels like each culture chooses their respective window treatments based on their approach to life.

5. The dog. This little guy, or girl, was being really good while his/her owner, holding a Rinascente bag, looked for more stuff to buy at the daily market. Dogs and shopping: two of Padova's greatest loves.

6. The graffiti. I noticed graffiti everywhere in Padova, always hidden behind a palacial building or an old ruin. The murals decorate the empty space left over on plain walls of buildings with little importance to history. Gandhi was one of my favorites because it was well-done and clearly sent a message that we need in the current world.

7. The portico. These structures make a big impact in Padova and other cities known for them, like Bologna. Shelter from the sun, shelter from the rain, and a unique architectural mood are just a few things the portici offer.

8. The market. I was looking for something to represent the market, and these hand-made artisan ceramic hot air balloons perfectly represented how I felt in Padova: as though I was living among the clouds.

Night Series:

9. The clocktower. A symbol of the city, a symbol of Italian culture, a symbol of sciences past, this clocktower is a monument and is even more beautiful by night. Its beauty by night is also a symbol of the majesty of Italy.

10. The apartment. My home away from home, where my second family taught me all about Italian culture. Also pictured is Via N Sauro, my street, which greeted me each morning with vivacity as I joyfully made my way to school.

11. The market. By day the piazzas are full of tents, full of stuff, that attract hordes of people. By night, they are ghostly squares, illuminated by what seems to be internal lights, that haunt the piazzas below the majestic Palazzo della Ragione, another symbol of Padovan culture. The garbage shows the day's work.

12. The self-portrait. I wanted to photograph myself in Italy, to show my life, but I didn't want to do it alone, as most of my experience was possible because of the amazing friends I made. So I asked them to sit on the cobblestones with me, under the Christmas lights, just like when we used to sit on the stairs, or on the statues, or on the ground of the piazze, back in the days when we were just getting to know each other during the warm September nights. They were my foundation, and I believe friends and family are the foundation of everyone's experiences in Italy, so I had to include them in my study of Padovan life.

With that, I think it's time to conclude this blog. Maybe I'll update occassionally if I get news from Padova or something similar, but other than that, I think my work here is done.

Thanks to anyone who has read this blog, and I hope it has helped students currently studying abroad or thinking about studying abroad. Best of luck to anyone who does it. If your experience is anything like mine, you'll remember it forever.