This Is What Dream Are Made Of

We rounded out our Maymester by hanging out in the Rome airport buying mass amounts of kinder chocolate and making our own mimosas Tuesday morning before flying back to Atlanta, arriving around 3 in the afternoon. As much as I was happy to be back on American ground (hello my own bed, phone service, mexican food, avocados, and the gym), I was still heartbroken to officially be done with my time abroad, more specifically in Cortona. I can honestly say that this Maymester was the best month of my life. Despite being with a group of people I did not know at all going into the trip, I made so many unforgettable memories with these strangers that eventually became awesome friends and some of the coolest people I’ve met. I enjoyed getting to travel all across Italy each weekend, but I think we were all relieved on our train rides back to Cortona on Sunday evenings as we always found ourselves saying “I can’t wait to be home”, with Cortona being home 🙂 There is just a sense of intimacy and comfort that Cortona offers within the first few days of being there. You see the same faces day after day, restaurant and store owners remember you and say “Ciao!” every time you walk by, and despite the winding alleys and streets, you are never truly lost. We were honestly treated like any visitor should be, which is something I don’t think America always does. We met so many awesome Italians as well, not only in Cortona, but on trains, on random streets, or even hiking through Cinque Terre. I’ve been home for over a week and I am still in denial that I’m not at Marco’s wine tastings, eating dinner at Tonino’s, grabbing a sandwich from the Market, or wheezing on a run through the hillside. I’m so grateful for the time that I got to spend not just learning about viticulture and enology, but also about myself (I need to tone down the cheesiness). I can without a doubt say that the Cortona Viticulture and Enology Maymester is the best study abroad program UGA has to offer, from the professors, Stephanies (aka the TAs), the local town members, to the subject matter. The only thing I would’ve changed? Pack more warmer clothes. I leave you with the end of my study abroad posts with some last looks at Cortona: