Student Bloggers
Goodbye!
Date
December 20, 2018
Jacob Vandever is a student blogger studying at the UMBRA INSTITUTE in Perugia, Italy
Hello everyone. This is the last blog I’ll be writing (unfortunate I know). Today’s topic is going to be on staying in touch with people from your program once your study abroad experience has ended. I am currently sitting in an airport hotel waiting for my flight tomorrow, so I know a little
about saying goodbye.
It is vital to make sure that all information you have about someone is up-to-date before leaving Italy. Usually, people use a different phone number abroad than they do in the States and it is important to get that information. Luckily, in today’s age of social media and technology, it is very easy to find someone if you forgot to get their States number. It is also important to not put pressure on yourself to stay in touch. A natural progression after studying abroad is the drifting apart of many of the members (it is very unfortunate). However, my friends and I have decided to stay in touch. These are the people I have grown closest to such as my roommate Spencer, our neighbor Justin, my friends Haley, Abby, Eliza, and Haley. You do not have to stay in touch with everyone and don’t feel a need to.
Lastly, I want to touch on the process of saying goodbye. These last few nights have flown by in what seems like the blink of an eye. Take the time to tell people you appreciate them, and to take in all of the sites where you will have spent your semester or year. I just said goodbye to almost everyone in my program, but it still hasn’t settled in that it is officially over. Take time, it will be hard to adjust, but you’ll make it through!!
Thank you for reading over this semester, and I wish you the best of luck in all future endeavors!