The End is Near at Hand!

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to finish up everything! I just completed my very last formal interview and it feels great! I've been working on formal and informal interviews for the past two months now and have learned more than I ever imagined I would. The hard part now is conveying everything I learned. I think I have come to terms with the fact that there are somethings that you can only learn, or at least fully understand, through experience. I have already started working on my final paper and it is surprisingly easy to write--the hard part will be keeping it concise and articulating well the many things that I have learned. :)

The interviews have been such wonderful experiences. Since I have worked as a Freshman Mentor for the past two years and am starting my master's program for Marriage and Family Therapy in the fall, I have grown pretty accustom to asking people, that I don't necessarily know very well, personal questions or details about their lives. That said, I am still surprised by how open people have been with me, especially when I have had to use a translator; in those situations, it's like they're telling intimate details about their lives to two strangers--not an easy thing.  I interviewed one girl who had been with her boyfriend for six years, had two children, and was only 18! After the interview, she told me that she it was a wonderful experience and that she told me things that she has never told people and things that her boyfriend didn't know. Her interview was probably the most dramatic, but she wasn't the only person who told me something like that afterwards, most did actually. :) This experience is amazing in and of itself, but what makes it even more meaningful is that I truly believe that it has changed me for the better and has helped prepare for my future career, and just for my future life in general.

It is funny what living in a different culture for three months can do to you, I feel like aspects of how I live and what I think have changed without even realizing it. I was having a conversation with a BYU student about courting and gender roles (my research topic), and the things I said were surprising me. I forget if I mentioned this before or not, but when I first got here I told myself, nothing is better or worse, just different, BUT--deep down--I still held onto the idea that my previous held/American ideas were better. Now, I find myself thinking more like an Italian in some aspects. Honestly, I really feel like I've kind of been able to find my own culture--I obviously understand American culture and I feel like I've come to understand the Italian culture as well; more than just the culture surrounding my topic, but just the culture in general. I respect both cultures and have gotten to a point where I can look at them and compare them more objectively. I can see the good, and some of the bad; I can see how each way of life and style of thinking work. I guess I have really just come to really internalize the idea that there aren't things that are better or worse about either culture, they're just different.

I truly am sad to go home at this point. I really thought that three months would feel like a long time, but my plane takes off in 3 1/2 days and I have such mixed feelings. I feel ready in the sense that I came her and made the most out of my experience. I know that I will be able to look back on my field study and not have regrets and have to think, 'Oh I wish I did that or took that opportunity.' At the same time, I have had such wonderful experiences here that I'm not quite ready for them to end--I have friends here, I have a way of life, I have a family...those are hard things to say goodbye to. I realize I'm going home to family, friends and a way of life that I've known twenty two years, but even still...

I was just hanging my clothes out on the clothes line and hand washing the dishes, and as much as I hated the fact that most Italians didn't use drying machines or dish washers when I got here, I have a feeling that I will miss those aspects of living here. There is a lot I will miss. That said, it's on to the next stage of life. My last few days will be great--going in to Rome tomorrow, sleeping on the beach with some friends that night and spending my last few days enjoying amazing people and the wonderful culture. :D I am so glad I chose to do a field study, where I've actually been able to get immersed in the culture. This was truly the experience of a lifetime!

Life is Good!

I am happy to report that things have really been looking up since I got my bag stolen. From the moment it happened, I tried to find the silver linings, but I am truly surprised at how many there have been. I went to an activity at the church that night and had an opportunity to talk to the missionary couple for the GANS (YSA) in Rome, I got a 'mom hug' from the Sister Krueger and asked Brother Krueger fora blessing. From that moment, everything took a turn for the better. Someone did a bad thing (stealing my bag), but I feel like I can hardly go a few minutes without  someone doing something nice and reminding me that people really are good.


 There were a couple students staying with my host family the weekend after my bag got stolen, and I decided to head into Rome with them Monday morning--they wanted to see some of the tourist sites and I needed to get my passport and pick up the money that my mom wired me. I got to the American Embassy around 1:30 to get my passport and had to wait until 2 to get in. The guards, in typical Italian fashion, were more than friendly--the first two I met offered to show me around Rome afterward, one offered to come to Bracciano and visit me, and a third suggested I meet him for drinks that night haha. I was allowed inside the embassy, under 'emergency circumstances', I went through security, and I made my way up to American affiars where I was denied a passport because I didn't have cash on me (and they wouldn't let me pay with my parent's card number). In a crunch for time, I went down to pick up the money that was wired to me; however, I was informed that I couldn't get without a passport. So there I was, lost for a solution--no passport without money, but no money without a passport. I went back to the embassy, explained my situation and they agreed to make me an alternative document that I could use to pick up the money, but then told me that I would have to come back the next morning to pick up my passport--which I did. Quite the hassle, but everyone was so nice, I actually think I might go back to visit again now because I've gotten to know so many of the employees! :) 

The students who were staying at my house; I went into Rome with them when I was getting my passport

Now, I think a change of subjects is in order--it happened, and I've moved on! I've finished half of my interviews and have the other half scheduled! I should be done by this weekend and I couldn't be more excited! I feel like I chose the best research project in the world, it's something I love to talk about and to learn about. I feel like I could write my final paper right now if I wanted to, and that I'm just doing the formal interviews to get the last checks off my Field Study To-Do list. I wish I had my computer everywhere and do a formal interview on the spot; I think that if I had brought a consent form a few more places that I would actually be done with my interviews, but no worries--I'm looking forward to the ones I have coming. :)


Challenges at this point....honestly, after getting past the huge hump, it's hard to even complain. I think more than anything, I'm just sad that I only have three weeks left here. I can't believe how quickly time has passed!


Lessons I've learned: Like I said before, people in general are just good--I love how I can come to a new country, live away from my family and friends and still feel so loved. I've definitely had my moments where I've felt alone, I think anyone would. That said, I think Italians are some of the most kind, open, and loving people. I decided that I didn't want to do homework this morning, so I just road my bike into Bracciano city and walked all around the city (it's not huge). After about 30 minutes, I made some new friends, grabbed some fruit juice with them at a nearby bar (not American type bar, what we would consider more of a cafe), and invited them to come play water and beach volley with me and some more of my friends tonight. Really, I don't know how I could complain about life.

Playing Water Volley in Bracciano Lake--where I live