Goodbye for Now

It is really strange to think that this is my last day in Maryland. Although I have been saying goodbye for the last few months, it still has not quite hit me yet that I, Sara Cochran, will be going to Italy for high school, and staying there for 10 months. No coming back for thanksgiving, or Christmas, or any other time for that matter. None of that. Honestly, I am not nervous at all. Just a bundle of happy and sad mixed in a blender and poured into me. Emotion smoothie, yes, that is what I shall call it!

My emotion smoothie tastes great at times, disgusting at others, and just kind of bland the rest of the time. I have really had a great summer. I went to Ross Mountain Club like we do every Forth of July to visit the Niemanns. I went to Long Beach Island New Jersey to go to the beach with my cousins. I went to Bethany Beach earlier this month with my parents and sister, yet we met up with a lot of our friends who happened to be there that week. 5 out of 7 nights we ate dinner on the beach. Yes, that was very awesome!

This past month my mom and her friend decided to become the local liaison because the old one decided to step out. She took many tests and worked so hard, but I think it really paid off. Just this past weekend my mom and Mrs. Engel (the friend) hosted a welcome party for the 3 exchange students in St. Mary's County. That was a TON of fun! Saya is from Japan, Alessandro is from Italy, and Bernadette is from New Zealand. Bernadette has two little host brothers and I really had fun playing with them, and they made me excited to see Enrico and Nicola. Saya seems shy at first, but she is really fun to be around. She reminded me of my two Korean friends from Ryken. Alessandro is very nice and quite amusing, he says he thinks that American girls are crazy...but he says it with a smile so I bet he likes it. I would think that he could be pretty popular back in Italy too...well, maybe not if Italian accents not accents, just the every day way of speaking.

I would like to thank my parents (I love you! Thank you for supporting me throughout this!), my friends (I love you so much! I know you kind of thought I was crazy when I first put out the idea of going abroad, but you still have supported me. I will miss you so much, but I know that you will be here for me when I get back! <3), Mrs. Moreno my Spanish teacher (you are so special to me. Thank you for supporting me and helping me figure out what program was best for me.), my sister Isabel who I will miss dearly but I know that we can catch up in July! Have a great sophomore year of college, and lastly my doggies. Holly and Bradley I will miss you so much. Always wanting a pat, somehow always putting a smile on my face, too bad you don't fit in my suitcase when it is packed.

After that mixture of blog and letters to my loved ones, I guess I should tell you that on Friday I finally finished the required level one of Rosetta Stone!!!! I know it will help me a little when I am over there, but still man that was sooooo boring! You may also want to know (or maybe not) that my bags are 100% packed! 1 VERY LARGE bag, one carry on for my orientation clothes, and my backpack are ready to go. Just need to add my toothbrush, brush, and my ipod and we shall be on our way!

We will leave for New York tomorrow morning at 8am, I will stay overnight and leave at 10pm on Thursday from Newark airport. We will arrive in Switzerland, and then head off to Rome, and arrive there at 2 o'clock. I will FINALLY get to Monselice Padova on Sunday to meet the Rosi family!

Talk to you in Italia! Arrivederci!