This past week has been my favorite week yet. My family came from Massachusetts to Italy to visit me. My father, mother, brother, godparents, and cousins all came to see me. After not seeing them since August when I first left for my journey, it was definitely a happy moment for me to see all the important people in my life. I can tell they were also happy to see me.
When they made their way to Florence, Italy, my family wanted me to show them all my favorite spots. I brought them shopping, out to eat, sight seeing, and more (every spot mentioned in last weeks top five was visited)! They all wanted to see how I had been living life for the past few months. It was really fun being their little tour guide around the city I came to love. I do believe Florence has won over my family’s hearts.
This is my first time being away from my family for this long. It has not only been a difficult adjustment for me, but them as well. All my family expressed how proud they were of me and they were able to see how confident I became in just a few short months. It means a lot to hear that from all the people I care about and look up to the most. I truly feel like myself here, and I do believe this new found confidence will follow me back to the States in December.
In the middle of the week I said my goodbyes to my brother, his girlfriend, my godparents, and some of my cousins. They went home to Massachusetts while my parents, my cousin Abigail, and I headed to Portugal. A large part of my mothers side of the family lives in São Miguel, Açores, Portugal. This was the first time in 8 years seeing most of them.
Family has been rooted in me since I was little. I was always taught by my parents that family comes first and will always be there for you. This past week I was really able to see that effect. Though, I had not seen most of them in 8 years they were all so proud of me and encouraging. You can always count on the people that are there for your best interests. This was much needed family time, and I am excited for them to see how much more I can grow this semester.
Mabel In Italy 
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